Deception Is A Virtue
by Chrome Hearts
Summary: Sweet Amoris High has been split up into two campuses; one for girls - one for boys. Morgan Syres hopes to be a successful musician, however, the music course she seeks is specifically designed for the boy's campus. Will she be able to keep her act together and not get caught?
1. Enrollment

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 01 Enrollment  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: Yep, that's right. Another one. Mwahaha. I thought of this plot the same night I thought up Sherlock and Friendzoned, because, you know… I clearly don't sleep.  
But yes, anyway. I decided I'd try out a Castiel series. Yay. The character Morgan belongs to WillowSioui.  
I really don't have anything else to say. Hmm…**_

Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._****_

~Deception Is A Virtue~ 

Morgan sighed as she tugged at the hem of her skirt, her fingers scrunching at the soft cotton fabric.  
Readjusting the strap on her shoulder bag, she trudged through the large front gates of Sweet Amoris Girls' Academy. She had transferred from a neighbouring town recently and had only attended Sweet Amoris Girls' Academy for little over a month, and she despised it… With every fibre of her being.  
Being an all-girls academy, music, arts and literature were the favoured subjects. And, of course, having a passion for music –namely drums- Morgan immediately enlisted herself in all available music subjects.  
But, there was one factor she skipped over. Being an all-girls school, one that strived for success, classical music, woodwind and percussion instruments were the only things the school had to offer.  
And, for Morgan, that wouldn't do at all. No.  
Slowly, she wove her way through the large packs of girls who milled about the school yard before classes began, chattering loudly amongst themselves, laughing and fluffing their hair out about their shoulders.  
Morgan shook her head, her short black hair falling in her chocolate eyes, making her way through the school towards the Coordinator's office.  
Only one lady occupied the large room, and she sat with her back to the door, her eyes fixed on the small glowing computer screen. She spun around as Morgan closed the door behind her, a faux smile spreading across her face.  
"Yes?" she asked, "how can I help you?"  
Morgan crossed the room, dropping a small pile of paperwork on her desk.  
The teacher's eyes scanned over it briefly, before looking upwards once more.  
"You're leaving the school?" she asked slowly. "Why ever would you do that? You've only just enrolled."  
Morgan forced a smile.  
"I know, and I'm sorry. But my mum just got a new job, which required relocating, and a school closer to the house."  
The teacher nodded slowly as she picked up a pen, the tip hovering above the authorisation signature line.  
"Is that so?" she asked.  
No. "Yes," Morgan said, trying her best to look as let down as possible.  
Morgan's charade, however, made the teacher smile, and she quickly scribbled her signature onto the crisp paper, handing it back to her.  
"I hope you continue to keep up your academics at your new school," the teacher said, waving her off. "Not every school out there is as firm handed as we are."  
Morgan held back a snort as she rested her hand on the door, yanking it open slightly.  
"Oh, I will," she smiled.  
She was going to go to the best possible school – one that would offer her subjects that would help her excel in her music.

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

Morgan loosened the straps on her backpack as she headed through the unfamiliar school grounds, the gravel crunching beneath her shoes. Automatically, one hand brushed the side of her skinny-leg jeans, the other withdrawing into the sleeve of her jacket.  
All around her, the Sweet Amoris Boy's Academy students towered over her as they tossed a ball to and fro in the front schoolyard, shouting loudly to one another as they did so.  
Morgan twisted slightly, crouching her knees as the ball whizzed over her head. She sucked in a deep breath and turned in the direction the ball had come from, her chocolate eyes narrowing.  
"Sorry," a boy called, rubbing the back of his head. "My bad."  
She nodded in his direction.  
"That's more like it," she mumbled as she closed in on the main corridor – her eyes constantly keeping an eye out for more flying balls.  
As she entered the hallway, her hand plunged into her backpack, pulling her drumsticks out, and as she made her way through the hallway, she gently tapped them against her thigh in a rhythmic pattern.  
She looked down at the small map that she held in one hand – the one the lady at the office gave her, er,_ him_, when the application interview was carried out.  
"And," she murmured quietly, "the Student Council Room should be just-" she gently shouldered a large door open and looked around inside. "Here."  
A tall blond sat at a desk, his eyes fixed on the small hand held game console that he held tightly in his hands.  
He looked up as I closed the door behind me, flipping the top of his console down and setting it aside on the desk.  
"Yes?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.  
Morgan frowned slightly and, sucking in a deep breath, deepened her voice as best she could.  
"I've been told to come to you – I've got some enrolment forms to complete."  
Yes, Morgan thought. That sounded boy-like enough.  
The blond paused for a moment before waving her over to him.  
"Alright, set everything up here. I'll help you. I'm Nathaniel, the Student Body President, and, I guess, first on the Welcome Committee for new students."  
Morgan nodded her head slowly and smiled.  
"Morgan," she replied, setting her drumsticks on the table next to her and reaching for a pen.  
Nathaniel's eyes followed her movement.  
"Oh, you're a musician, are you?" he asked. "We have a great music program here."  
Morgan flashed him a grin. "So I've heard."  
After completing her forms and handing in her enrolment fee, Nathaniel reached for her timetable.  
"Here you go, Mister Morgan Syers," he said passing the small rectangular piece of paper to her. "Looks like you've gotten lucky. Your first subject for today is Music."  
Morgan's eyes sparkled with excitement.  
"Perfect," she grinned, gathering her drumsticks and her bag, making her way to the door.  
"Morgan," Nathaniel called before she could leave, and slowly, she turned.  
He furrowed his eyebrows briefly, in thought.  
"If I remember correctly, there's a boy called Castiel in your Music class. Try and avoid him if you can. He doesn't take too well to new students."

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

A/N: Bamf, chapter one. That was kind of fun to write.  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading it. (:


	2. Little Drummer Boy

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 02 Little Drummer Boy  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: Anonymous reviews time! Yay! **_

_**WhenTwoTearsFall; I'm pretty sure you've read my mind. There will be a gay joke. Or two. Or twelve. Don't worry~  
I'm glad you enjoy this one more – I didn't really put that much effort into the other one, heh. And, to be honest – I have no idea where this one is headed… But it should be fun, nonetheless.  
I know its clichéd – everyone has done it before (and I got the idea at the same time as like, four other fics… at three o'clock in the morning TT_TT ). Originality – I clearly have it. Hahaha. :P  
I'll try and make it a little different though~ Thanks for reading.  
**_

Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_**Onwards~**_

~Deception Is A Virtue~

Morgan walked down the long hallway of Sweet Amoris, her eyes darting from one room number to the next, then back to her timetable to clarify the room number. This went on for several minutes until she finally stood, rather nervously, out the front of the Music room.  
Inhaling quickly, she pushed the classroom door open and looked inside. There were around about a dozen students in the class, scattered on various tables, and to Morgan's relief – none looked up at her as she entered the classroom, or even acknowledged her presence for that matter.  
The teacher, however, was a different matter.  
"Ah," he smiled, his eyes moving to the door. "You must be Morgan. We've been waiting for you. Take a seat please young man."  
Morgan flinched at the latter half of the teachers sentence, but shrugged all the same and made her way through the rows of desks to an empty table at the back of the classroom.  
Unpacking her folder and pencil case, Morgan settled into the hard plastic chair, placing her drumsticks on the table next to her.  
Morgan's eyes darted around the classroom as she waited for the teacher to write up the days lesson on the whiteboard.  
Castiel? Who could Castiel be? Nathaniel wasn't much of a help.  
"Let's see," Morgan murmured quietly. "Brunette, brunette, red head, blond…"  
Her eyes fell upon a particularly grouchy looking boy with green hair.  
Yep, she decided. That had to be Castiel. Making a mental note to avoid any eye contact with him, she turned her gaze to the front of the room and started writing down what had been written on the board.  
After a few minutes, the teacher fished around in the filing cabinet that stood aside his desk, pulling out a small pile of crisp, white sheets of paper.  
"Alright boys," he said smiling at his students. "We're going to experiment today. We have the sheet music to the same song for several instruments. You're going to collect each one and see how well you can play it on each instrument. Capiche? Now, come up here and get your sheet music."  
Getting quietly to her feet, Morgan wove her way in between the small clusters of tables towards the front of the class, coming to a halt at the end of the small line that had formed, breathing a sigh of relief as her eyes locked on the cranky green haired boy several people away.  
Castiel couldn't possibly bother her from there.  
Reaching the front of the line at last, Morgan stretched out her hand to gather her sheet music when a hand darted in front of hers and snatched the paper, the owner taking extra care to knock her arm out the way with his own.  
Morgan sighed and turned to face a red haired boy, annoyed.  
"That was mine," she hissed and he shrugged.  
"It's mine, now," he said, a small grin spreading across his face. "Now move it."  
Pushing past her and collecting the rest of his sheet music, the red head returned to his seat.  
Morgan rolled her eyes – did every person in this class have issues?

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

Twirling her drumsticks around in her fingertips, Morgan took a seat in front of the all-too-familiar drum kit, her eyes glancing over the sheet music she had been given.  
"Kick drum… Ride Cymbal… Ride Cymbal… Snare Drum… Mid Tom"  
She heard a small chuckle and looked up, her dark brown eyes locking with ones of a deep grey.  
The red haired boy smiled sarcastically at her.  
"So Shortstack knows his way around a drum kit, does he?"  
Morgan ignored him, tapping on the bass drum lightly with the tip of her drumsticks, her eyes turning back to the sheet music.  
A small rumble echoed from inside his throat and he snorted.  
"Please, it can't possibly be that hard."  
At this, Morgan looked up.  
"Oh yeah?" she shot, "and what do you play? The Bass?"  
The red haired boy's lips pressed together in a thin, narrow line and Morgan knew she was right.  
A small smile spread across her face. "It doesn't take a genius to be able to pluck four strings and occasionally move their hand."  
His eyebrows twitched in agitation. "Smart guy, huh?" he growled and, with a light push on the shoulder, Morgan had fallen out of her seat.  
Picking up her drumsticks, the red head began to tap the bass drum and cymbal in a fast, but highly repetitive manner.  
"Your job is easier than mine," he said, bored, stopping and letting the drumsticks fall to the ground.  
Morgan grinned. "Oh really?" she challenged. "Blast Beat. Go on, do it."  
The boy's face scrunched up slightly in confusion.  
He knew what a Blast Beat was, of course. But how this shrimp of a kid knew what it was – and seemed confident enough to do it himself. That was what put him off.  
"Castiel," the green haired boy called from across the class and the red head looked up.  
"What?"  
"Leave Shortround alone and come over here."  
Morgan drew in a deep breath as Castiel got to his feet and made his way across the class.  
He hadn't taken more than three steps away before he turned back to Morgan, his eyes narrowed.  
"Just be sure to keep out of my way little drummer boy."  
Morgan picked herself up off the ground and climbed back into her seat in front of the drum kit, peering at Castiel as he talked to the green haired boy through her Cymbals.  
She shook her head, her short black hair falling into her eyes.  
Well, at least she knew who to look out for this time…

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

A/N: Whoo, Indiana Jones reference. This took slightly longer than I intended to write… A crazy little thing called Life seems to want to get in the way of everything. Tch.  
~CH 

_**  
**_


	3. Accusations

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 03 Accusations  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: Anon review #2 time! Weow!**_

**WhenTwoTearsFall; I don't think you have any idea how much I laughed at your review. Like, so much so, I cried… And my brother took refuge in his little bubble of sanity he likes to call 'his room.' Oh, it was hysterical! (': Messed up timetable? Hmm, what drama are you thinking of? The idea for this is based off a new-ish K-Drama – Hurray~ Haha, all of my time revolves around trying not to buy more stilly Action Points… And WoW. Whoo! Yep – it has to be legal when you combine more than one thing. Legal mashup at its finest! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Lysander and Leigh! That is pure GOLD! Yep! It shall happen! It really will! They both dress extraordinarily feminine.. and yet, they both 'wear the pants.' (literally, too… xD ) Awks. Hmm, good cover. (:**  
**Yes… Stupid Life. Go away. I have no need for you. Yes – I laughed a lot at that part, too. You're hilarious. Really. :3**

**Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**Ready? Aye, aye, Mon Cappy-tan~  
**_

**_~Deception Is A Virtue~_**

Trudging slowly into her History: Revolutions class, Morgan took a seat in the farthest corner away from the teacher in hope that she won't draw any more attention to herself.  
So far, Castiel had been in two of her classes, and seemed to take utmost pride in making her life miserable.  
The classroom lapsed into silence as the teacher began to walk around the room, handing out workbooks, and Morgan let out a quiet sigh of relief. At last, he wasn't in her class which meant that she could finally enjoy a subject without having to put up with his irritating ways.  
Flipping open her workbook, Morgan's eyes scanned the room once more before reverting to the tasks in front of her.  
"Okay," she murmured quietly to herself, "activity one; Cahier of 1789 - The Clergy of Blois and Romorantin."  
She trailed a fingertip down the worksheet, eyeing each question.  
The subject was familiar to her as she studied it at the Girl's Academy –briefly- and at the school prior to that, however that didn't render the task any easier.  
_What are the divisions of the bailliage of Blois and the secondary bailliage of Romorantin?  
_Morgan cussed silently and, reaching for her textbook, turned to the glossary, her eyes scanning over the long list of words and their page numbers.  
"Alright," she said quietly, picking up her pen, her other hand pressed firmly against the textbook so as to not lose her page.  
Putting pen to paper, she made the occasional glance back to the textbook to confirm her suspicions.  
_First Division – Religion.  
_The classroom door swung quietly open and footsteps echoed throughout the otherwise quiet room, followed closely by the low murmur of conversation between the teacher and the interruption.  
_Second Division – Constitution.  
_The interruption dropped their text book and folder on the table next to Morgan's and she sighed quietly, not bothering to look up.  
_Third Division – Taxes.  
_"So I'm stuck with you _again_ am I, Shortround?"  
Gritting her teeth slightly, she broke her gaze around from her workbook.  
She was met with Castiel's dark eyes and annoyed features.  
With a small shrug of her shoulders, Morgan rolled her eyes returning to her work.  
"I didn't think you were smart enough for this sort of stuff," she said simply.  
_Fourth Division – Justice.  
_"What do you mean by that?" he growled, digging his fingernails into his textbook and pulling the two ends apart roughly.  
A small smile played across Morgan's face and she lifted her head slightly to stare at him.  
"This is an _academic _course. One where you have to think – You aren't very academic, and you certainly can't _think_."  
Castiel's brows furrowed in annoyance and he remained silent for a few moments.  
"Whatever," he muttered, his tone overcast. _  
_The smile on Morgan's face grew and she turned her back to him, her eyes once more looking down at her worksheet.  
_Fifth Division – Nobility.  
_At last, she had won against him.  
Such a change; such a good feeling to not be on the receiving end of the taunts.  
From this point on, she wasn't going to let Castiel get the best of her.  
_No._  
From this point on, she was going to be in charge.  
She was in control of the situation.

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

Morgan walked slowly around the large school yard during her lunch break; as she had expected, she was the weird new kid. Nobody had opened up to her or invited them to hang out with them. Nobody had even talked to her during class – Except for Castiel.  
Her eyes widened as she came across him and several of his friends sitting on a bench in front of a large oak tree that stood in the centre of the courtyard.  
Quickly, she moved behind the tree so that he didn't notice her. In all honesty, she didn't want any trouble – and Castiel was mad at her after their History class together.  
No, mad was an understatement – he was furious.  
Pressing herself against the trunk of the tree she exhaled quietly; he hadn't seen her, thankfully. But how long was she going to have to stay there for?  
Until he left? No, he'd most likely be late for class. Maybe she could try and sneak away…  
"Has anyone seen the new guy yet?" came Castiel's voice – sharp and harsh. Morgan froze immediately.  
"No," came another voice. This one sounded oddly distant. "Why would I have?"  
Castiel made a small noise in the back of his throat.  
"He insulted me earlier."  
His companion let out a small chuckle. Restrained, yes, but there were traces of amusement and surprise behind it.  
"And you let him?"  
"No, well, I mean-"  
Castiel fell silent once more, and from behind the tree, the corners of Morgan's lips tugged upwards in triumph.  
"I'll take that as a yes then," his companion said smoothly. "I'll keep an eye out for him though. What does he look like?"  
Castiel laughed darkly.  
"He's short. Black hair, brown eyes. Has a pretty face – kind of like a girl."  
"Right," his friend said softly and Morgan heard the leaves under his feet crunch as he stood.  
Shrinking down the trunk of the tree, Morgan sat on the carpet of dirt that surrounded it, being careful not to crush one of the many dry leaves that littered the area around her.  
Pressing herself into a tight ball, she waited. And waited.  
"Are you coming or not?" Castiel's companion called from a little way off.  
Another crunch of leaves and Morgan sucked in a deep breath.  
Castiel's footsteps grew fainter and Morgan released the breath that she had been holding in.  
She hadn't been found… Just yet.

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

"Oh, _of course_," Morgan grumbled as she sat with her back against the wall of the Gymnasium. She had forgotten that a delightful perk of an all-boys school was mandatory physical education participation. But that fact alone was the least of her worries.  
Much to her horror Castiel, and, as she soon found out, his friend Dajan were in the class with her. And they were to play a Round Robin Basketball mini-tournament, a sport that Morgan knew all too well could quite easily turn into a violent fight as easily as one would happen in a soccer match.  
Relief washed over her when she was placed on Dajan's team, but something deep inside of her churned with worry. Wouldn't it be safer to be on Castiel's team instead?  
Her question was answered for her ten minutes into the match against the red head's team when his foot connected with her shin and her body slammed into the hard wooden floor.  
Pain washed over her as she placed her hands against the floor and pushed herself up into a sitting position.  
"Sorry," Castiel said sarcastically. "You're so short, I didn't see you there."  
He noticed the Gym teacher looking in their direction and he immediately offered her a hand. When Morgan didn't accept it, he bent down, his long fingers wrapping around her wrist, dragging her back to her feet.  
"Stick to your academics, Shortround," he growled before moving towards the opposite side of the court.  
Morgan frowned as her eyes followed his retreating back before her attention snapped back to the match that was being played.  
A player of the opposing team ran by with the ball and Morgan started after them, managing to tap the ball out of their hands before rushing back down the courtside with it.  
Her eyes quickly scanned the court for open team mates.  
Dajan was by himself. This was her chance!  
"Dajan!" She called and he spun around in her direction.  
Crouching slightly, Morgan pushed the ball out of her hands with as much force as possible.  
Dajan started towards it only to have Castiel stop his path, his back to the ball.  
"Ouch!" Castiel growled, his head snapping around in Morgan's direction.  
Almost immediately, Morgan's face drained of colour.  
"What did you do that for?" he snapped, his eyes narrowed into thin slits.  
Quickly, he advanced on her, grabbing the collar of her shirt in fury.  
"Boys!" the Gym Teacher intervened. "_Boys! _Detention, the both of you!_"_  
"Great, now look what you've done," Morgan hissed and Castiel shrugged his shoulders.  
"My pleasure."

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

Morgan tilted her head back slightly to stare at the roof of the classroom. Everything about it was designed for the very intention of causing as little distraction as possible. The walls were stark white, and, unlike any other classroom in the school, it was not littered with posters and students' work.  
No, this was the absolute ideal room for detention as it sucked every ounce of happiness out of those who were unlucky enough to get given that little pink slip of paper.  
"I can't believe I'm stuck in here with you," Castiel grumbled from the opposite side of the shared desk, drumming his fingers against the its grey surface loudly.  
"Well," Morgan retorted, "maybe if your big head air head didn't get in the way of my pass, we wouldn't be in here."  
Castiel's lips pressed into a thin, narrow line, but he remained quiet.  
As Morgan had learned quickly, a silent Castiel is far more lethal than a smart alec, cocky Castiel.  
His eyes narrowed and he glared at her for a short while before a small, somewhat puzzled expression washed across his face.  
"You have a girly face," he said matter-of-factly.  
Morgan felt her body stiffen at those words. He couldn't know – right?  
She decided to take a more nonchalant approach.  
"Jealous?" she replied sarcastically and Castiel shook his head.  
"Only gays have feminine faces."  
_"What?"  
_Morgan wasn't expecting that, and it took all of her will power to stop herself from laughing outright.  
Castiel stopped his finger drumming, instead, tapping his now-clenched fist on the table's surface gently, almost as though he had realised something that he was once blind to.  
"That's it, isn't it?"  
Morgan's brows knitted together in confusion and she tilted her head to the side,  
"What's _it_?"  
"You're gay, aren't you?"

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

**A/N: So, I spent ages working on this update, getting distracted by WoW and K-Pop related things, then working on this again (rinse and repeat…) I got all the way down to the last few sentences and Microsoft word decided that I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight… And froze on me.**  
**And I had to re-type it ALL. :/**  
**The things I do for you guys.**  
**Anyways, enjoy~**

**-CH**


	4. Reaction

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 04 Reaction  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+  
_**  
Anon review reply #3 **_

_**Glad you enjoyed the lols, muffin. I had fun writing the last part especially.  
It's brilliant logic, if you ask me. One will kill the other. And then the survivor shall forever be unbothered by the one they were put in detention with originally. The process of elimination is a wonderful thing. Yep. Highly logical. You're so not the most boring person!  
Ahahahaha! It's a bad thing. Very bad. He doesn't like it when I talk to my computer. He gets freaked out. League is alright…ish. The only one I know is like, short, really adorable, and has a witch skin with stripy socks. WoW on the other hand…. YOUCANPLAYASAKUNGFUPANDASOON ! No idea how happy that makes me. Imma call mine Po. Because that name is clearly going to be available upon release. Ahh that sounds so cool! You so should have totally said "Anyonghaseyo~ Kiyoshi**_ _** imnida!" And they would have been all like "They're speaking Korean. No wai brah!"  
I wish I had it. My Word is lousy. Bah. I honestly appreciate the effort of your reviews. Kamsahamnida! **_

_**-CH  
**_

_**A/N: I apologise in advance for lack of updates in this, both present and future (because it will happen.) I've spent most of this week finishing off the final touches of my Silent Hill cosplay, and I **__**do**__** study full time (Uni) **__**and**__** work part time. And my final speck of free time went into writing the first chapter of my MCL Charli, Wenka and Willi three-shot.  
Please remember that I am doing my best to write this one as well as continually work on assignments and updates for The Only Thing I'm Missing sequel. So, from now on, the next time I get a PM (I've even had someone find me on MCL and inbox me there) demanding an update instantaneously, I shall ignore you. I'm only human, after all.  
I also can't see how this story is so well liked. It's probably the derpiest thing I've ever written. I am glad that you enjoy reading said derp though.  
**_

Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_**Anyway, here's the update you've all been asking for. Enjoy~**_

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~  
**_

_****_  
Morgan didn't come to school the following day. Or the following day. Or the day after that.  
When Castiel entered his History: Revolutions classroom –late, as per usual- on the third afternoon, his eyes flicked to Morgan's empty desk by the window and he sighed.  
Castiel couldn't understand why the little guy was skipping class so much.  
After muttering a not sincere apology to the teacher, he stalked his way to the back of the classroom and dropped into his seat, his gaze turning to Morgan's empty one beside him.  
Honestly. He was gay. So what? Was he that conceited he had to cut class because of it? Was he _that _full of himself?  
Castiel shook his head; his long mane of silky red hair fell into his dark eyes as he did so.  
No, that couldn't possibly be it.  
One does not simply skip classes because of their sexual orientation. There had to be something else.  
Castiel scrunched his nose and bent his head over his workbook, feigning study.  
What could it be?  
After pondering the question and seemingly endless possibilities relating to Morgan's unexplained absence, he lifted his head. A wave of guilt washed through him.  
What if Morgan was embarrassed –upset, even- that somebody knew he was gay?  
Yes, that was exactly it.  
A large frown played across Castiel's face, tugging his lips downwards.  
Morgan was skipping class because of the fear that he would tell the entire school.  
Castiel quickly stuffed his handouts, workbook and pencil case into his folder and stood, weaving himself through the clusters of desks to the front of the classroom.  
After grumbling something under his breath to the teacher, Castiel excused himself from the classroom.  
Morgan was skipping classes and it was entirely his fault.

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

The door of the Student Council Room slammed against the wall and Nathaniel sighed, his eyes fixed on his latest Crime novel.  
"If you're here to complain about the detention you've been given," he said quickly, his voice smooth as though he had repeated himself hundreds of time previous, "I'm not the person you should be complaining to. I merely second the slips before distribution. And, before you ask - I have no intention whatsoever or revoking them."  
Yep, it was perfectly said, without the slightest slip up, stutter or stumble. Perfectly rehearsed, and said with a tone so flatly, so unemotionally, it was as though he was reading it directly from a script.  
Castiel rolled his eyes.  
"You'd think I would come here to complain about a _detention_ of all things when I can simply just _not go _to them?" he asked, laughing dryly.  
That the sound of his voice, Nathaniel looked up, moderately surprised.  
"Castiel," he said, mildly taken aback by the presence of the red head. "What are you doing here? Your next detention slip hasn't been sent out yet."  
Castiel narrowed his eyes at the blonde as he used every ounce of will power he could muster to prevent himself from retaliating with a snide remark.  
If he did reply as such, so he feared, Nathaniel wouldn't listen to him, let alone give him the time of day.  
Castiel took a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head.  
Nathaniel's golden eyes glittered with interest as he studied the red head.  
"Why are you here then?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly in confusion. "Are you looking for a safe place to cut class?" he glanced quickly at the clock before turning back to Castiel. "Yes, I believe that's it, isn't it?"  
"No," Castiel growled quietly as he stalked forward, coming to a halt in front of –and towering over- the seated Nathaniel. "I came here to ask you for information."  
Nathaniel blinked several times, his confusion deepening.  
"And what sort of information do you require?"  
Castiel sighed inwardly, trying to string together a reply.  
"I need you to tell me Morgan Syres' address."  
Yes, Castiel decided. That was an adequate enough response.  
"Morgan Syres?" Nathaniel asked, amused. "The short guy who enrolled not too long ago?"  
Castiel nodded his head, waiting for Nathaniel to continue.  
"And why would you want his address?" Nathaniel finished, his eyebrows arched.  
Castiel shrugged lightly.  
"Just do," was his simple reply.  
Nathaniel shook his head, before staring at Castiel once more.  
"I see how it is – He skips school to get away from you, so you want to find out his address to go bully him some more. Is that it?"  
Castiel's eyes widened in shock at the golden haired boy's assumption.  
"No," he said quickly. "Far from it. I was going to go visit him and apologise."  
"Right," Nathaniel said slowly, picking up his crime novel once more. "You _can't _apologise. You don't know how to."  
Castiel frowned, his brows knitting together tightly.  
"Morgan's not skipping classes because of me," he lied. "He's skipping because he's sick. I was going to go check up on him."  
Again, Nathaniel put his novel on the desk in front of him. Tilting his head upwards once more to look at the redhead, he wiggled his eyebrows.  
"You're checking up on him?" he asked slyly and, obliviously, Castiel nodded.  
"I'm worried," he said, hoping that it would make his case sound more believable. "He's been out of school for a few days, and he might not be getting any better."  
_Yes,_ Castiel reassured himself. _Pretend you're concerned – that way, Natty will have to give you Shortround's address.  
_The grin grew wider on Nathaniel's face.  
"You're _worried_ about Morgan?" he clarified, amused.  
Castiel nodded quickly. "Yes."  
Nathaniel seemed to be enjoying himself now.  
"Then why did you have to apologise to him?"  
Shoot!  
Quickly, resisting the urge to 'umm' and 'err' every few seconds, Castiel strung together the quickest response he could muster.  
"He leant me his drumsticks the day before he first started skipping. I need to apologise for keeping them for so long."  
A small chuckle escaped Nathaniel's lips.  
_"Right,"_ he said, his golden eyes sparkling.  
He turned around in his chair to face the filing cabinet behind him. After a few minutes of digging around inside of it, he drew out a file, quickly sketching something roughly on a piece of paper.  
"Here's his address," he said, offering it.  
As Castiel reached for it, Nathaniel quickly drew it back, almost teasingly.  
Castiel tilted his head to the side inquiringly.  
A quick smirk played across Nathaniel's face as he held out the paper with Morgan's address on it once more. As Castiel quickly snatched it out of his grip, Nathaniel batted his eyelashes at him mockingly. Castiel narrowed his eyes at the boy before turning to leave.  
"Oh, Castiel," he said in the most –pathetically- girly voice he could manage. "I didn't think you swung that way."  
Snapping his head in the direction of the Student Body President, a small growl rumbled from the back of Castiel's throat.  
"What the _Hell _are you talking about?"

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

_**A/N: Did you guys catch the meme in here? If you didn't…. It was Lord of the Rings related. So, go back and find it. xD  
These guys now officially have their own pairing name.  
Casgan. (Castiel and Morgan~~~ xD )  
Whoo.  
That makes me happy.**_


	5. Unwanted Friendship

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 05 Unwanted Friendship  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**Anon review reply #3 - WhenTwoTearsFall  
No way! Better than Peter Griffin? Pfft. I find that hard to believe. Everything that man says is GOLD.  
I can't tell if you're joking or not. But you did catch the meme. xD  
"One does not simply…" Quote Borimir from Lord of the Rings without an actual captioned photograph. You should watch it. And fangirl over how amazingly beautiful Aragorn is.  
And Lurtz. He's my favourite character. What a champ.  
LOL yes. Mwahaha. I keep my promises. And there's going to be a lot more of them to come. Yay~  
Nathaniel is so mean. Gosh. That boy… Who would have guessed?  
Who says Castiel has cottoned on just yet? Ehehehe.  
Hmm, yes. I did have that in mind, but it's too early on for him to discover it. When he does, I pretty much won't have a plot anymore. *cries*  
Nope, nope~ Her hair is just really short.**_

**_Anon review reply #4 - GZ-001_**  
**_Wae I no continue? Wae? Because I was lazy. I'm sorry! I send you cookies as an apology~_**  
**_Thank you for liking my derp, sweets~_**  
**_Oh, look! A wild update appeared!_**  
**_/Imsuchadork._**

Where did that wild update disappear to?

**_Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

Oh, here it is. Gotta read em all, right?

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~  
**_

Morgan sighed in annoyance as a loud knocking at her front door broke her out of her light sleep.  
Grumbling quietly to herself, she sat up from her position on the couch, kicking the blankets away from her body.  
The room was covered in dark splotches and she blinked several times in an attempt to rid them from her vision.  
Another string of loud knocks on the door echoed throughout the otherwise unoccupied house.  
Reaching out for the television remote, Morgan switched off the already-muted screen and sat very still.  
Perhaps if she pretended that nobody was home, they'd go away?  
Who in their right mind knocks on a door so angrily anyway? Did they _want _to break the door down?  
Furrowing her brows slightly, Morgan got quickly to her feet. Burglars, that's exactly who.  
Running a hand through her disheveled black hair, she reached for the door handle, yanking it open.  
Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Castiel standing on the front step, his bag slung over one shoulder, a small, highly crumpled piece of paper clenched in his hand.  
"Oh," she said blankly. "It's you."_**  
**_"What the hell do you think you're doing cutting class like that?" he snapped. "And for no reason, too!"  
Morgan rolled her eyes, moving her hand to the corner of the door and flicking it shut once more, shuffling her way back to the couch.  
"Hey," Castiel growled, and he knocked furiously on the front door once more. "What did you do that for?"  
Sighing quietly to herself, Morgan dropped back onto the cushioned couch, pulling her blankets back over her body. He would give up soon enough. He was going to go away and leave her to rest. Yes…  
The front door swung open and a very angry Castiel invited himself into the house, kicking his shoes off at the door as he did so.  
"That's no way to welcome a guest," he said, his tone overcast. "Or maybe your mother didn't teach you manners."  
Morgan laughed sarcastically, and she tilted her head over the back of the arm rest to stare at the red head.  
"You're one to talk – you pretty much just broke into my house."  
Rolling his eyes, Castiel shrugged, making his way into the small living room and took a seat at the end of the couch. "Whatever. I came to see why you were skipping class."  
Morgan sighed, gesturing to her face; her skin was extremely pallid and large, dark rings lined the bottom of her eyes. Her short black hair was unbrushed and stuck out in small spikes at various angles.  
"Why do you think?" she sniffed, her voice nasally and slightly deeper than usual.  
She straightened up, swinging her legs off the side of the couch and tugged on hem of her loose and incredibly baggy skull print pyjama bottoms so that they were back down to her ankles.  
Castiel shrugged lightly; there was only one logical reason why Morgan could be skipping.  
"I'm sorry," he muttered quietly and Morgan tilted her head to look at him, confusion etching itself into her small features.  
"For what?" She was still highly uncomfortable with him inviting himself into her house, but hey! If he was going to apologise for no apparent reason, she wasn't about to kick him out. Mentally kicking herself for not being able to find a tape recorder to archive the historical moment, Morgan made a small circular motion with her hand, gesturing him to continue.  
Castiel furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he strung together an adequate response, making sure he fine-tuned every little detail before he said it in fear of Morgan exploding at him.  
"I'm sorry I found out your secret, Morgan," he said guiltily, his eyes not leaving hers. "I won't tell anyone. You have my word."  
"Secret?" Morgan asked, her lips tugging upwards into an amused grin. "What secret?"  
Castiel nodded briefly, slightly annoyed at the interruption before picking up where he left off.  
"And so, I've been doing a lot of thinking. It doesn't seem right for you to be by yourself all the time. Especially since you're so small, and probably still coming to terms with everything… Not to mention, skipping school because of it is no exception."  
Sighing inwardly, Morgan stared at him dumbfounded. How hard was it to understand that she was just sick?  
"What terms?" Morgan croaked. Castiel had a few screws loose in his head, honestly…  
Castiel forced a smile, stretching out his hand towards her.  
"So, rather than you be by yourself, I'll be your friend."  
Morgan arched her eyebrows , her face contorting into something of a mixture of amusement and surprise.  
"I don't want to be your friend," she replied quickly, and as flatly as possible.  
A small scowl worked its way across Castiel's face as he stared at her.  
"Then who will stand up for you when everyone finds out your gay?"  
A surprised laugh escaped Morgan's mouth, one that held no traces of humour in it. Instead, she stared at the red head with wide eyes.  
"I'm not gay," she said plainly and, with a small shrug of her shoulders, pulled her blankets fully off her body, wiggling to sit atop of them.  
Castiel shook his head, an all knowing smile spreading across his face.  
"You are," he said simply, "if you don't want more people finding out, don't make it so obvious. Now, come back to school tomorrow. Like I said earlier, I'm not going to tell anyone your secret if it upsets you _that _much. Got it? It's just between us."  
Morgan let out a long, drawn-out sigh, tugging the sleeves of her oversized, Tri-Force hoodie down over her hands. There was just no reasoning with him. How did he ever get it into his mind that she was gay, anyway? At least that meant he thought she was a boy.  
She frowned slightly, looking down in puzzlement before her eyes widened and she glanced quickly up at Castiel.  
"What?" he sniffed, rubbing the underside of his nose with a fingertip.  
"Castiel," Morgan said slowly, her voice bordering dangerous and fearful. "I'm in my pyjamas."  
Castiel's eyes, too, widened immediately. "I-I didn't see anything," he stammered quickly. "I promise!"  
Gripping the blankets loosely in her hands, Morgan pulled them up to her neck.  
Quickly recovering from Morgan's sudden outburst, Castiel laughed.  
"Wait, why are you so worried?" he said, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're fully covered."  
He gestured to the small amount of her oversized Zelda hoodie that was visible from behind the blankets, and then to her legs, concealed by numerous amounts of tangled fabric.  
"They're just pyjamas," Castiel shrugged. "Relax. I sleep in a lot less than that."  
Morgan's cheeks flared, the colour all the more noticeable in contrast to her pallid complexion, and she shook her head furiously.  
"I-it's not the same!" She protested. "Out! _Please!_ Get out!"  
With a small sigh, Castiel got to his feet.  
"I don't get you," he said, shaking his head, his hair falling across his eyes like a scarlet veil. "I really don't. You're as bad as a girl, honestly."  
Starting towards the door, Castiel paused, his hand resting on the wooden frame as he slipped his shoes back onto his feet. "You better be at school tomorrow, Shortround. I'll see you in class."  
As he closed the door behind him, Morgan let out a pent-up breath, readjusting the sleeves of her hoodie. Quietly she praised her tomboyish side and love for the comfy-ness of boys clothing.  
Her pyjamas alone should have kept her secret hidden well enough. Or so she hoped.  
If Castiel noticed anything at all, she was sure to hear about it tomorrow.  
As Castiel headed down the garden path and out onto the street, his lips tugged upwards into a small smile.  
He was happy with his unchanged conclusion about the –relatively short- new guy. But, if there was one thing he didn't like, it was people going back on their word. And he certainly wasn't going to go back on his.  
No, not at all.  
Starting from tomorrow, he was going to be Morgan's first friend at Sweet Amoris: Boys Academy, whether the boy in question wanted it or not.

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

_**A/N: just a quick update for tonight guys. I have other things I need to do before I go to sleep, and I promised someone I'd update tonight. So, I couldn't exactly just not post anything.  
Anyways, there you go. Hope you enjoyed reading the great, big solid block of text that I'm calling a chapter.  
Until next time~**_

**_-CH_**  
**_x_**


	6. Secret

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 06 Secret.  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**Anon review reply #5 Guest~  
Hola! Thanks for reading, Anon! I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far.  
The next chapters will be out soonish. This isn't my primary updating story, however. So updates to this will come somewhat occasionally~  
Ha~~  
Thanks for the compliments, love. 3  
**_

_**Anon review reply #6 Setsunie  
Thanks sweets. I'm really thankful you've liked it so far. Thanks for commenting.  
Why yes, this is a generic 'thanks' reply. xD**_

_**A/N: Soooo, I decided to update a chapter of this after I'd finished dorking it up on WoW (Even though I'm a few bars from exalted with Sporeggar. Guess what I'm doing tonight? XD )**_  
_**Thank you all who left a review. You guys are seriously my motivation for this.**_

**Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

"What do you want?" Morgan grumbled, stalking past the red head as he waited at the gates to Sweet Amoris High School for her.  
Castiel shrugged his shoulders, quickening his pace to match hers as she tried to stride away from him.  
"You obviously haven't had a friend before," he said sarcastically, "so I'll fill you in. Friends wait for friends before school."  
Rolling her eyes, Morgan sighed inwardly.  
"Look," she said flatly. She was going to do her best to make it blatantly obvious to Castiel that she didn't like him. Hopefully, in a way that even he can get his thick head around. "First of all, I've had friends before. And we did _not _stalk each other to find out their address or follow them around the school."  
She paused, glancing up at Castiel and taking in his puzzled expression before continuing.  
"_Secondly, _you're not my friend."  
To Morgan's utter shock, Castiel's lips tugged upwards into a smile and he laughed, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. He draped an arm over her shoulder as they walked – Morgan, trying her best to keep half a step in front of him.  
"I already told you," he chuckled, "you don't have a say in the matter. Who's going to protect you when people find out you're homosexual?"  
"_I'll _stand up for myself," Morgan snapped angrily, shrugging out of Castiel's grasp. The latter half of his sentence hit her –hard- and she frowned. "But I'm _not _gay though," she added quickly.  
Castiel chuckled again quietly. "Whatever," he grinned, "that's what they all say. But, even if you weren't, I'd still protect you from them."  
That was something Morgan wasn't expecting to hear. She stopped suddenly, turning around to face him. Castiel, surprised by Morgan's sudden actions didn't have time to stop and knocked into her.  
Stumbling backwards a step, Morgan's heel moved behind her, and she tripped over her own foot. Quickly, she move her hands out behind her to brace her fall; pain washed through them as they connected with the rough, concrete ground.  
Castiel, without Morgan to stop his body's forward moving motion, stumbled forward a step. The tip of his boot made contact with the uneven concrete ground and he fell forward, his hands landing on either side of Morgan's small hips, covering her hands. Immediately, he moved his legs to the side so as not to crush her body as he fell, which, to Morgan's horror, resulted in him practically sitting in her lap – their noses and foreheads touching.  
Morgan let out an annoyed sigh, her eyes narrowed upon the red head who was now less than an inch away from her.  
Taking in their touching noses, the closeness between them both, and the awkward position that had come out of the situation, Castiel's face began to heat up and he looked away, embarrassed, his strong hands still pinning Morgan's to the ground.  
"Castiel," she growled quietly, manoeuvring one of her hands out from under Castiel's. She gave him a slight shove on his shoulder.  
"Mm?" Castiel murmured as he was snapped from his semi-trance. He turned his head back to face her quickly, their lips brushing against one another. Immediately, he moved his head backwards as Morgan did the same, wiping her mouth roughly with the back of her sleeve, exaggerated gagging noises echoing from inside her throat.  
"Get off me," she growled, her teeth clenching.  
Castiel pushed himself off her quickly and sat on the cold concrete ground. His eyes were locked with hers, his already red face darkening at a considerable rate.  
"S-sorry," he stammered quickly. "I didn't mean-"  
"Forget it," Morgan shrugged, grabbing him by the wrist, dragging him to his feet as she got to hers. After one more glance at him, she turned, dusting herself off. She headed off into the hallway, leaving Castiel in her wake, red faced and completely confused about what had just happened.

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

"Well," Nathaniel chuckled as he sat before Castiel in the Student Council Room. He had called the red head out of class with the typical excuse '_for a detention'._ Castiel's teacher certainly wasn't surprised with the reasoning and ordered him to follow Nathaniel out of class immediately.  
"Well _what_?" Castiel sighed as he gazed down at the blond, his arms folded in front of his chest in a bored manner.  
"That was certainly an amusing morning was it not?" Nathaniel said, his head tilting to the side, an amused grin playing across his face.  
Castiel dropped his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled  
"Really?" Nathaniel asked slyly, "I'd of thought that you knew _exactly _what I was talking about."  
Castiel sighed, his dark eyes moving up to the Student Body president –and the bane of his existence- once more. He shook his head opting to remain quiet; he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.  
"Well," Nathaniel said slowly, his golden eyes glinting, "Trying to ravish Morgan on the school grounds in front of half the boys here is, as you had probably guessed, strictly prohibited."  
Castiel's brows furrowed in puzzlement.  
Ravish? Him? Morgan? Of course not! He liked girls! Was Nathaniel so blind as to not realise that he _tripped?_  
Wait a second – Nathaniel was even there?  
Castiel could feel his face begin to heat up once more in embarrassment – his ears turned pink and clashed horribly with his dyed red hair.  
Nathaniel smirked, knowing that he had struck a key with the red headed delinquent that stood before him. And, after briefly contemplating his possible demise, decided not to pass up the opportunity to mock Castiel and continued.  
"Do you know what else?" he asked slyly and Castiel shook his head, staring down at the ground – his eyes obscured by a thick veil of red.  
"No," he growled. "But I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway."  
Nathaniel chuckled, thoroughly enjoying himself. He briefly contemplated his next statement, carefully selecting his wording to maximise Castiel's infuriation.  
"I don't think you went over to Morgan's house to _apologise._"  
Castiel's head snapped upwards, his dark eyes narrowed.  
"What are you on about?" he growled.  
Nathaniel shook his index finger, his grin widening and he winked at the puzzled red head who stood before him.  
"Don't worry, it'll be our little secret."

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

_**A/N: Whoo. Update. Not a very good one, but an update nonetheless.**_  
_**I shall now fall asleep at my computer. Who decided to make people go to Uni on a Sunday? Even if it is to help out with an open day (which got disrupted by a protest anyway. Ehh.) Sundays are for sleeping.  
/Sadface**_  
_**While you're waiting for the next update, please feel free to check out my Charli, Willi, Wenka (the guys from the Easter episode) short series. *Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge.***_

_**-CH**_


	7. Band Camp?

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 07 – Band Camp?  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: Band Camp? Oh, the irony…  
So, I had help with an idea for the next few chapters of this from acid-veins, so be sure to give her lots of cookies.  
Okay, so… The whole 'Band Camp' arch starts from here. Hehe, can you guess where I'm going with this?  
Tralala, trying out a new format. I hope I can remember it. **_

_**Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

_**~Deception Is A Virtue~**_

Morgan sighed as she sat in front of her drum kit that afternoon as she listened to her music teacher ramble on about a 'Battle of the Bands' event that was to take place in just over a months' time.  
At first, she was relatively interested in what he had to say – however, that was a good thirty minutes ago when he first began his passionate speech about wanting the best from his class.  
And now, it was beginning to get to the point where the sound of his voice was getting unbearable.  
After a quick glance around the classroom, Morgan realised that her classmates shared the same amount of enthusiasm for his speech as she did.

The music teacher's speech was repetitive and slow-paced. As an extra precaution, to ensure he got his point across to his students, he repeated himself, as Morgan had counted, far more than twenty times.

She shook her head, a small sigh escaping her lips. He could have simply said 'Win, or else you're expelled.' There. Easy. His entire rant had been summarised in five words, rather than being expanded into a half an hour lecture about rigorous practice.

Morgan furrowed her brow as she stared at her music teacher, waiting for him to finish his rant.  
His voice was a dull monotone, enough to lull someone on the greatest caffeine high to sleep almost instantly. As she forced herself to remain awake, Morgan's fingers slowly reached for her drumsticks.  
Although the teacher's overall topic was repetitive, his words were slow, drawled and somewhat rhythmic.  
One… Two… One… Two… Three… One… Two…

Grinning to herself, Morgan slid the drumsticks through her clenched hands until they sat comfortably, her thumbs resting along top before she drummed out a slow, steady beat in time to her teachers words.  
_One… Two… One… Two… Three…_

He stopped talking, immediately, glancing up to the back of the classroom, his eyes locking on her. Mirroring their teachers previous movement, the rest of the class swivelled in their seats, their gaze falling onto her. Castiel's lips tugged upwards into a smirk and he applauded silently before gripping the neck of his bass guitar firmly with his left hand, plucking at the stings in the same slow, steady beat as Morgan, with his right.

The teacher's head snapped in his direction, his beady eyes narrowed in anger.  
"And just what do you think you're doing?"  
Castiel shrugged his shoulders lazily, his gaze fixed, unconcerned, on the enraged man that stood before him.  
"Making the lesson more interesting," he said simply.  
Morgan's eyes widened in shock. Was Castiel crazy?  
Several of Castiel's friends chuckled quietly at his remark. The teacher, however, didn't find it humorous – not in the slightest.

"Out," he snapped angrily, pointing a bony, pale finger at the door. "Get out!"  
Castiel grinned at the teacher, placing his Bass on the desk in front of him before getting to his feet.  
The teacher's beady eyes moved from the red head to Morgan almost instantly.  
"You too, Mister Syres. _Out_!"  
Morgan sighed, shaking her head as she got to her feet and slowly waved her way between the clusters of desks to the door. The music teacher met her there, his eyes narrowed.  
"Here," he sniffed, stuffing two pieces of paper into her arms before turning back to the waiting class.

As the door of the music room closed behind her, Morgan let out another small sigh, looking around.  
Castiel sat on the ground, his back against the wall, one knee drawn up to his chest.  
Without looking, Morgan separated the two pieces of paper, letting one fall slowly into his lap before she took a seat on the floor next to him.

"Why did you do that?" Morgan asked, tilting her head to the side. "You got yourself into trouble."  
A small grin tugged the corners of Castiel's lips upwards and he glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes.  
"You expected me to let you get into trouble by yourself?"  
Morgan snorted, nodding her head. "Uh, yes."  
A small chuckle escaped the redheads lips.  
"You weren't the _only _one who was thinking of a way to get out of that class. Besides, I told you I would protect you – And I did. He didn't yell at you, did he?"

Morgan's lips pressed into a thin line.  
"I don't need you to protect me," she said bluntly. "I'm not a child."  
Castiel's grin widened and he shook his head – his long, red hair fell across his dark eyes like a veil.  
"Okay, then consider it a way of making up for what happened this morning."

Morgan pursed her lips for a second in thought, quickly becoming aware of the blood creeping up into her cheeks, causing them to flush. She looked away.  
"Don't worry about it," she said quietly. "Just forget about it.  
Lifting the sheet of paper that the teacher had given her up, her eyes glanced over it.  
"Band camp?"

"Band _what?_" Castiel asked as he glanced at the sheet of paper on his lap. "Whatta ya know, the miserable old badger was right when he said he wanted us to win. Looks like he's making us attend a weekend band camp so that we can practice."

Morgan resisted rolling her eyes.  
"I know what," she said sarcastically. "I can read you know."  
Her eyes glanced over the note once more, taking in the finer details. It was next weekend.  
Surely the teacher didn't want Sweet Amoris to win the Battle of the Bands _that _badly, right?  
_Right? _Furrowing her brow slightly, Morgan sighed. She vaguely remembered the first few thoroughly-rehearsed replays of the speech he had given them.  
_'Sweet Amoris has never once gotten lower than the top three in Battle of the Bands. I don't want this year to be any different.'  
Yes. _Yes, he did want to win that badly.

"Morgan?" Castiel asked after a slight pause. "It says we need to stay in cabins. Did you want to be my cabin mate?"  
Morgan's forehead creased as she pondered this. It wasn't as though she could request to be in the same cabin as a girl. The Sweet Amoris _Boys _Academy seemed to lack in them. Naturally.  
But, what if Castiel found out-?  
Quickly shaking her head, Morgan sighed inwardly.  
No, he wasn't going to find out. How could he? He was only… Sharing the same cabin and en suite as her all weekend. _No. _But what if…?  
"Alright," Morgan said slowly, as she came to her conclusion. "I'll be your cabin mate."  
If Castiel ever found out, she could always knock him out with his bass. Yes. She could say he was simply hallucinating.  
_Perfect._  
But, that shouldn't be necessary. Castiel wasn't going to find out. She was going to make sure of that.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: Mwahaha, a somewhat more disguised 'solid block of writing'.  
Ahaha, Band Camp. I still find that concept hilarious.  
****Hope you enjoyed the update, guys~**_

_**-CH**_  
_**x**_


	8. What Happens At Band Camp

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 08.1 – What Happens At Band Camp…  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**Anon Review Reply #7 – Stella**_

**_Hehe, yep~ You technically classify as an anon reviewer cause you weren't logged in. Teehee._**  
**_Thank you for your compliments muffin. Glad you like it~_**  
**_Guess what? I updated! Le gasp! Who would have guessed?_**

**_A/N: Just a reminder that the character of Morgan Syres belongs to WillowSioui. Be sure to give her lots of lovings and cookies._**  
**_And, introducing the character Gage Price, who belongs to the fabulous acid-veins. Cookies and lovings must go to her, too!_**

**Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Wheeling her small suitcase into the two-bed cabin, Morgan let out a quiet sigh, looking around. There wasn't really much to the room itself that really made it stand out. The surface of the floor was covered entirely by smooth, milky coloured tiles – the walls painted a horrible asparagus green. Two single beds stood against the far wall, a horrible multi-coloured bedspread adorned with mismatched patterns decorated each bed. A small gap separated the close proximity of both of the beds, only large enough for a low, wooden nightstand, painted the same asparagus colour as the walls. Lifting up her suitcase, Morgan dropped it back down on her bed, a small frown creasing her face.  
Sweet Amoris was really going _all out _with this camp, she thought bitterly. They must really want to win the Battle of the Bands.  
Morgan's eyes caught sight of an off-white sliding door in the opposite corner on the same wall as the beds and she moved to investigate it.  
As she slid the wooden door open, she glanced around at the small en suite. So she would be sharing the same bathroom as Castiel for the weekend? That… Isn't going to turn out well.  
She trailed her hand down the back of the door and sighed in relief as her fingers caught hold of something smooth and cold; a lock. Thank goodness for that!  
"Morgan?" Castiel called from the doorway, "what are you doing?"  
Turning around, Morgan's lips curled up into a small smile. "Just looking around." A shock of silver hair bobbed over the top of Castiel's head, a pair of orange and green mismatched eyes hidden beneath the silver veil.  
"Who's that?" Morgan asked, as she moved from the en suite door to sit on her bed, her unpacked suitcase shifting slightly on the bedspread as she did so.  
"Hmm?" Castiel replied, tilting his head to the side. "Oh, this is my friend Lysander. He's a part of the same band I'm in – vocals. Lysander is in the second music class."  
Smiling politely, Morgan nodded her head in the direction of the silver head boy.  
"It's nice to meet you, Lysander."  
Mirroring her previous movements, Lysander nodded his head, too; his long, silver fringe falling into his eyes.  
"I could say the same thing about you, Morgan. Castiel has mentioned a thing or two about you."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan sighed as she rested her back against the trunk of a tree. She gazed at the lake that stretched out behind the campgrounds, a small, content smile tugging the corners of her lips upwards. It was mid-afternoon now, and the musical aspect of the camp didn't begin until Saturday – and finally drawing to a close late Sunday evening.  
Moving her hands to her thighs, Morgan began to tap out the blast beat to _The Violation _by _Fleshgod Apocalypse_, her dark hair falling into her eyes.  
A small chuckle from Morgan's left made her freeze, mid-beat and she lifted her head slowly to stare at the person.  
Their short white hair hung just below their ears, their fringe side swept revealing their glittering eyes – one gold, and one pink.  
"Fleshgod Apocalypse?" they chuckled, running a hand through their hair. "Really, Morgan?"  
"Gage!" Morgan squeaked getting quickly to her feet. "Gage, you're here!" Her arms flew around her friend and she laughed happily. "What are you doing? Why are you here? Where's the rest of your school? Why aren't you answering my questions?"  
Gage managed to pry herself from Morgan, a small smile tugging the corners of her lips upwards.  
"I'm not answering," she said sarcastically, "because you're not giving me any time to answer them."  
Morgan rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry, I just haven't seen you in ages."  
"It's fine, "Gage grinned. "Relax, I was just kidding. Why are you here, anyway? Practice for the Battle of the Bands?"  
Morgan nodded and the two started a slow walk through the camp grounds.  
"Yeah. I'm guessing it's why you're here too. Did you bring your guitar, or are you going to use one of the ones they have here?"  
Gage made a face, draping an arm around her friends shoulder.  
"Morgan," she teased. "Since when do I _not _bring my guitar with me? There's no way I'm going to try and use one of those untuned pieces of-"  
Sticking her tongue out, Morgan giggled. "You're right – I should have guessed."  
As they continued their slow stroll through the camp, Gage pointed out her cabin – a dull lemon colour with much the same furnishings as the one she shared with Castiel.  
"Ah, your cabin is close to mine," Morgan grinned, grabbing her friends wrist and towing her down a few cabins, coming to a halt in front of a very familiar –horribly green- sight.  
There, on the steps that lead up to the off-white door, sat Castiel and Lysander, both of who looked up at the new arrivals.  
"Morgan," Castiel growled as his eyes narrowed on Gage, then slowly moving down to where Morgan's hand was firmly clutched around her waist. "Who's he?"  
_He? Did he mean Gage…?  
_Morgan tilted her head slightly, glancing at her friend. Her dark grey skinny jeans clung to her thin legs; a loose _Suicide Silence_ band t-shirt hung loosely from her torso. She did somewhat resemble a boy. Especially since her chest had been bound. Morgan sighed inwardly – if Castiel wanted to think that Gage was a boy, then so be it. She wasn't about to ruin her friends fun.  
"Castiel," Morgan said, a small smile tugging the corners of her lips upwards. "This is my _friend, _Gage. Gage, this is Castiel – and the boy behind hi is Lysander."  
Gage nodded her head at both of them, remaining quiet.  
A small snort escaped Castiel and he got to his feet.  
"I don't care if the guy is your friend or not – why are you holding his hand?"  
Immediately, Morgan released her grip from her friends wrist, her arm falling down to her side.  
"I wasn't!" she defended.  
Narrowing his eyes, Castiel shrugged his shoulders, stalking past the two of them. "Whatever," he growled. "I don't care anymore."  
Coughing slightly to stop herself from laughing outright, Gage rolled her mismatched eyes.  
"Somebody's jealous."  
"I'm not!" Castiel snapped, looking back over his shoulder.  
Lysander sighed, getting to his feet. He ran an elegant hand through his shock of silver hair as he closed the distance between himself, Morgan and Gage.  
"Look," he said quietly, his mismatched eyes glittering. "He's just worried about you, it's simple. You disappeared earlier, after all. And then you show up with a guy… Who isn't even from Sweet Amoris."  
"What's that got to do with anything?" Gage asked, her tone overcast.  
Glancing up at her Lysander shrugged. "What I _mean _is they're technically our opposition. Friend or not, Morgan, you're going to be going up against him in the Battle of the Bands. You know how Castiel is – He wants to win."  
Morgan chewed on her bottom lip. "You're right, Lysander. But he didn't have to get so worked up about it."  
Lysander straightened himself up, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.  
"It's like I said – he was worried about you."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: I think I'll end it here – I want to try and get more than four hours of sleep tonight, seeing as I've been skipping my morning classes because I was too tired to actually get up. Yeah… Not good.  
Anyway, that's chapter eight. Hope you enjoyed it.  
acid-veins; I really hope I got Gage's personality and whatnot right. Let me know if I didn't.  
Originally, I was going to put this as a two-part chapter. But I'm too lazy, so the next update will just be a carry on… To an extent.**_

**_Chapter Nine – Stays at Band Camp… will be out within the next few days._**

**_Also, I recommend you listen to Fleshgod Apocalypse - You'll love them. Honest.  
_**

**_R&R!_**

**_-CH_**  
**_x_**


	9. What Happens At Band Camp Part Two

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 08.2 – What Happens At Band Camp…  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: I kid, I kid. I'm just going to go ahead with these 8.2 things…. And whatnot. Oh well~  
So, if all goes well, there will be an 8.3 following this chapter. Yep. Lots to do at band camp. Lots and lots….**_

Anon review reply #8 – WhenTwoTearsFall  
Ermahgerd! You're back! :O Haha, yes. "This one time… At band camp-" Someone only recently told me where that quote was from. Regardless, it's overused here. For absolutely everything. LOL really? I guess it pays off to have something music based… And to weave that in there somehow. xP  
Haha, Morgan's pretty tough. Yeah, not caring about the intimacy thing… Like a boss. Clearly someone lacks a heart.  
I LOVE WEAR PURPLE DAY!  
Pfft. Baka? Really? Nooo. Babo. You're not a baka.  
I'd say they're all just stupid. Gage does bind her chest. Morgan is just somewhat flat chested. :P

_**Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. It's getting rather annoying having to make sure this is on each chapter. Bah. That's a disclaimer in itself.**_

~Deception is a Virtue~ 

"I can't believe you," Castiel grumbled as he sat on his bed that night, his back turned to Morgan – his eyes were fixed on the asparagus wall. "You go around holding hands and making friends with our rival schools. It's unbelievable."

Morgan sighed quietly in annoyance. That was the most he had spoken to her since the incident with Gage that afternoon, and to be perfectly honest, Morgan would have preferred the silence and the cold shoulder. A silent Castiel makes for a happy Morgan, right? Absolutely. Without his constant complaints and usual snide remarks, Morgan had enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon with her friend Gage (much to Castiel's anger.) Now, however, was something Morgan had forgotten to take into account. Yes, she could quite easily put up with Castiel, her school mate – he was easy enough to avoid. But, Castiel her roommate? That was a different story. He was unavoidable in the small confines of the cabin, which meant that Morgan was now subject to every single insult he could muster.

-I can't believe you would actually do that, Morgan. Let your school down like that. With the Battle of the Bands only a little while away, you go and-"

Morgan rolled her eyes, tilting her head to the side to observe the red head's back. He was _still _talking? She had learned to drown out the sound of his complaints well over an hour ago. It was like white noise, now. Except when she chose to listen in.

"-You're impossible, Morgan. Really."

Morgan made a face at Castiel's back, her tongue sticking out.  
"Are you done yet?" she asked, annoyed and, when he didn't answer, Morgan assumed his answer for him. "Good. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

As expected, Castiel didn't even bother to reply. Not that Morgan minded, anyway – she took it as an initiative to escape any more of Castiel's constant ranting.  
Snuggling down into the uncomfortably heavy blankets, Morgan sighed, closing her eyes. Soon enough, she would fall asleep and wake up to a brand new day. And hopefully, Castiel would have forgotten everything that had happened with Gage. Yes… That would be nice.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Groaning quietly to herself, Morgan pulled the blanket over her head. There was just something about falling asleep in an entirely new place that she just… Her body just didn't seem to want to fall asleep.  
Rain hammered against the windows, drumming loudly on the tin roof and that, in itself, made it almost impossible to sleep. Well, for _normal _people, at least. Castiel lay in a tangle of blankets, one arm folded behind his head, the other dangling off the side of the bed. His chest rose and fell gently. Mumbling to herself as she peaked out of the blankets at him, Morgan held back the insults. Honestly, how could he possibly sleep through something like this? It was crazy.  
A fork of lightning cracked across the sky, the small room illuminating in a flash of blue before once more reverting to its previously dark state.  
Shivering slightly, Morgan knew exactly what was coming. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room momentarily. And then another. And another before the sky seemed to split open with a deafening rumble. Morgan froze, the blankets now pulled completely over her head.

"Go to sleep," she chided herself quietly. "Sleep. Now. Don't be so stupid."  
Another loud rumble of thunder echoed throughout the cabin and Morgan squeaked, her eyes pinching shut tightly. She just had to wait the storm out. That's all she could do. Another loud boom of thunder echoed throughout the room, the small lamp on the nightstand shaking. No. She was wrong. There was no way she could wait this out.

Shoving the blankets from her, she tiptoed across the small gap to Castiel's bed and gave him a sharp shove in the shoulder. Grumbling quietly, his eyes flickered open.

"Morgan?" he managed to mumble groggily. "What are you doing? It's the middle of the-"

Another clap of thunder made Morgan flinch and she tugged pleadingly on the sleeve of his t-shirt.  
"I'm scared, Castiel," she finally managed to say.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Castiel sighed, running a hand through his red hair.  
"Scared of a little thunder? You? What am I supposed to do about it anyway?"

Morgan chewed her bottom lip awkwardly. No, she couldn't ask him. She was better off just trying to get to sleep and-  
Several more flashes of lightning illuminated the room before a particularly loud boom cracked the sky open once more. Morgan whimpered quietly.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? Please?"

Castiel's eyes widened in shock. "What? No way! You-"  
He sighed quietly as another bolt of lightning illuminated Morgan's utterly terrified face before he moved across in the single bed, folding the blankets back to allow Morgan some room.  
"Fine," he grumbled. "Just this once. Why are you so scared of thunder anyway?"

Quickly moving into the small space and pulling the blankets back down over her body, Morgan shivered in fright.  
"It's… It's because you can't see it. Something that loud… That big. It should be visible, but it's not. And-"

Castiel cut Morgan off as he reached out, pulling the blankets off her face and tucking them under her chin. "Just go to sleep, alright?"

Morgan nodded meekly, closing her eyes. If she needed anyone to help her through the thunder storm, she could always wake Castiel up again. Slowly, she felt herself begin to drift off into sleep. Although, Morgan wasn't exactly sure if it had anything to do with Castiel's presence… Knowing that he was going to look after her. But she was definitely sure that he was the reason she was falling asleep so easily.

Castiel sighed as he looked down at Morgan's sleeping form. For goodness sake! Shortround was a drummer. How could a little bit of thunder be so frightening to him?  
Morgan sure was a piece of work – an incredibly strange one, at that. Reaching down, Castiel brushed a few strands of hair from Morgan's face before their closeness seemed to finally sink in. He felt his face begin to heat up and he chewed awkwardly on his bottom lip. What if somebody saw? No… Impossible. Who would be out in a storm, anyway?

Glancing quickly from the rain streaked window back down to Morgan's sleeping form, Castiel's lips tugged upwards into a small smile. He was just… So peaceful when he slept. His face so innocent. So young. So strangely feminine.

"At least," Castiel murmured quietly, "you're not afraid anymore."

Muttering something incoherently, Morgan rolled over to face him, still in a deep sleep.

Castiel the blood continue to flush his cheeks as Morgan's hand brushed along his. Sucking in a deep breath, Castiel sighed, moving his head closer to the sleeping form next to him – their noses touching. Lips brushing against lips.

_No. _Morgan was asleep. It just… Didn't seem right.  
A small smile tugged the corners of his lips upwards and Castiel rested his head against the pillow, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Morgan."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

After a momentary freak out the following morning, and after a rather annoyed reassuring from Castiel that it was her who decided to sleep in his bed that night, Morgan got warily to her feet.  
Crossing the small space in between Castiel's bed and hers, she pulled out the first pieces of clothing from her suitcase that her hands touched, followed by her towel.

"Where are you going?" Castiel called, still sitting on his bed. "You're going to miss breakfast."

Morgan shrugged lightly. "I'm not hungry. You go on without me."

"Whatever."

Getting to his feet, the redhead crossed the room. "I'll see you in the first lesson then."

Waving her goodbye, Morgan moved into the en suite, moving the bolt across the door. Dropping her fresh clothing onto the floor, Morgan stepped out of her skull-print pajama bottoms, tugging her baggy Zelda hoodie over her head.  
After quickly showering, Morgan wrapped her towel around her torso and busied herself hunting for her toothbrush in a seemingly bottomless toiletries bag.  
Finally, after what seemed like an hour, Morgan had fished out her toothbrush and stuck it, lathered in toothpaste, into her mouth. Looking into the mirror, Morgan let out a horrified scream, her toothbrush dropping into the sink with a dull clatter.  
There, in the doorway, his eyes wide, stood Lysander.

"Morgan?" he asked, shocked. "You're a girl?"

Spinning around, Morgan's eyes darted from the silver haired boy in the doorway to the lock, that stuck out uselessly.

"T-the door," she stammered. "It was locked I-"

Lysander looked quickly away, one hand shielding his eyes from her. "It's broken," he said quickly. "I thought Castiel told you that."

Morgan shook her head quickly, attempting to create as much distance between herself and Lysander. "No… He- I-" she let out a small sniffle. "Lysander, please don't tell anyone. You don't understand! I had to! I had to do this!"

Turning away from the door completely, Lysander exhaled.

"Look, whatever reason it is that you're here… It's not my secret to tell. It's yours. But what you're doing… Do you realise if you get found out-"

"Please," Morgan pleaded as she slowly sunk down the side of the bathroom counter attempting to pull her loose clothes over her body. "Please, Lysander. You have to help me with this. You can't tell anyone."

Running a hand through his silvery hair, Lysander dropped his shoulders. After a few minutes of silence, he finally sighed.

"Alright," he said. "I'll help you."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~ **_

_**A/N: Oh, the temptation to re-title this 'Thunder Buddies.'**_

-CH  
x


	10. What Happens At Band Camp Part Three

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 08.3 – What Happens At Band Camp…  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: Okay guys. Okay. I'm updating. Don't flay me.  
But also, please don't send me any more PM's demanding an update instantly.  
I have a life, believe it or not. I go to Uni. I have essays and assignments. I have older brothers I need to teach that not everything can be put in a microwave. I work. And most importantly, I'm currently trying to keep my head above societies (and Uni's for that matter) water.  
Right now, updates are the least of my worries, but I assure you – I'm going as fast as I can.**_

**_Anon review reply #9 Kyoshi Not-So-Baka_**  
**_The quote? Erm… American Pie, I think… I haven't actually seen it before – I've just heard the phrase. Lots and lots of times._**  
'_**Heard**__** Morgan and Castiel the first night…" Oh, I laughed so much at that.  
Ehe. It would be incredibly hard to explain, that's for sure.  
Like a sir, indeed! Like a sir with enormous amounts of Gangnam Style.  
Whoa, whoa, whoa… Your camps sound cool. Like… Our lousy, boring Victoria camps, we like… Aren't allowed to leave the campsite. It's boring. That does sound pretty amazing!  
I went to some environmental conference in Caloundra, Queensland two years ago when I was in year eleven – Snuck out of the Hotel at around 10 o'clock. BEACH PARTY! There were crabs on the beach. Crabs are painful. The animal kind. I'd assume the other kind are painful, too… But I wouldn't know.  
Babo is Korean for 'idiot' and 'silly' too. :P  
Consider your dA stalked. Mine is SozzledChan. Chan meaning girl… Sozzled meaning… Drunk. (It just sounded cool at the time. xD)  
**_

_**Anon review reply #10 aria  
To be perfectly honest, what happens next is a secret.  
So, I'm not allowed to tell. You're just going to have to find out.  
I'm glad you're enjoying this so far.  
Cross-dressing is badass. Yep.**_

**_Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

After being let out from her afternoon music class early, Morgan let out a happy sigh of relief as she stretched her arms out in front of her, flexing her fingers in the warm sunlight.  
So far, her classes for the day had been nothing short of rigorous, highly repetitive drumming which lacked even the slightest trace of enjoyment. Morgan was slowly going insane in the small, stuffy, instrument-filled room, so one could only imagine her excitement at escaping out into the fresh air.  
After several laps of the –surprisingly large- campsite, Morgan saw a familiar figure off in the distance.  
"Morgan!" they smiled, turning to face her. "Wanna go check out the pool?"  
Quickly making her way to Gage's side, she grinned. "Sure. It's warm enough for a swim – and dinner isn't for another three hours."  
The two headed first to Gage's cabin where she changed quickly into a pair of long, knee length board shorts and a baggy _Sleeping With Sirens _band shirt. Scooping up a fluffy white towel on her way towards the cabin door she smiled at her friend.  
"Alright, while you change, I'll go grab a drink from the dining hall."  
Morgan shook her head furiously. "No," she said hastily. "The lock on the bathroom door is broken – I need you to keep watch in case… In case… Uh-"  
Gage shrugged her shoulders lazily.  
"He's a guy, and you're a _guy_ – or so he thinks. He's not going to go perv on you in the bathroom, Morgan. Stop being such a drama queen."  
Morgan frowned ; her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line.  
"Some people don't know how to knock," she muttered darkly. "We'll get your drink, and then you can keep watch."  
After a quick detour past the dining hall, the two girls headed towards Morgan's cabin, Gage holding a particularly large slurpee cup up to her lips. Making their way up the painted wooden steps to the cabin door, Morgan froze as she glanced inside.  
Castiel and Lysander lounged lazily on his bed talking and both looked up when she entered, Gage following closely behind her. Much to Morgan's relief, Lysander smiled at her – the kind sparkle in his eyes reassuring her that –as of right now- her secret was still safe. Castiel, too, smiled in Morgan's direction happily before his dark eyes fell on the figure behind her and he got to his feet quickly.  
"What's _he _doing in here?" he growled pointing a milky finger at Gage.  
Gage side-stepped around Morgan so she could get a better view at the fiery red-head.  
"We're going swimming," she said shrugging lightly. "Morgan's just going to get changed. Do you have a problem with that?"  
"Swimming?" Castiel snarled almost immediately. "Together? By yourselves?"  
Gage nodded, rolling her eyes. "That's what I said, isn't it? Morgan – hurry up and get changed. Go."  
Quickly shooing her friend towards the en suite, Gage turned back to face Castiel.  
"Do you have a problem with that, _Red_?" she asked sarcastically.  
Castiel fell silent for a few moments, and even inside the bathroom, Morgan knew that he was positively fuming.  
Quickly re-emerging into the bedroom moments later in a plain black, baggy tee-shirt and loose-fitting dark brown shorts that came to just above her knees, Morgan sighed inwardly, relieved that Castiel and Gage hadn't tried to murder each other just yet.  
Castiel turned quickly to face Morgan as she stood in the bathroom doorway, her towel draped over her shoulders to hide her chest – despite it already being close to flat.  
A small trace of pink tinted Castiel's cheeks and he turned to face his silver-haired friend.  
"Go get changed," he said flatly. "We're going to the pool too."  
Gage groaned loudly. "Really?" she sighed. "_Really? _How annoying. Let's go Morgan. Maybe we can get a little bit of _alone time _in before they come annoy us."  
She glanced quickly at Castiel who, as she had expected, reacted to the words 'alone time' with a quiet growl, his fists clenched.  
Morgan chewed her bottom lip nervously as she glanced between the two.  
One way or another, both Gage and Castiel were going to end up hurting each other. Morgan knew that was a fact. And that it would be up to her to stop that from happening.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan and Gage sat on the edge of the pool, their feet dipped into the cool, blue liquid below them, conversing quietly.  
"Oh," a voice said bitterly from behind them. "I thought when you said you wanted to go swimming, you were actually going to _swim._"  
Morgan tilted her head upwards slightly. "Castiel, you didn't just come down here to annoy us did you? If you want to swim, then fine. Don't just come here to interrogate us."  
"Yeah, _Red_," Gage agreed. "Either jump in the pool or get lost."  
Castiel's lips contorted into a snarl and he glared down at the two who sat on the pool's edge.  
Reaching down, his fingers wrapped around the fabric of Morgan's shirt and he pulled her to her feet.  
"What are you doing?" Morgan snapped, her arms flailing uselessly. "Let me go."  
"No," Castiel replied evenly. "We need to talk. We need to talk about your arrogant _friend_ over there."  
Gage arched her eyebrows as she, too, got to her feet.  
"Oh?" she said darkly. "_I'm_ the arrogant one? Let Morgan go – how many times must you be told?"  
Castiel's dark eyes moved to Gage. "Nobody asked you. Stay out of it."  
He gave Morgan's shirt a sharp tug and she stumbled forward half a step, placing her hands on Castiel's chest to steady herself.  
"Hey," Gage snapped, moving towards the two. "I said to leave Morgan alone."  
"_And,_" Castiel replied just as icily. "I said to stay out of it." He gave Gage a sharp shove on the shoulder and she stumbled backwards a step, slipping on the –now wet- tiled edging and falling into the pool.  
"Gage!" Morgan shouted glancing over her shoulder.  
"Forget him," Castiel growled, tugging on her shirt. "I said I need to talk to you. Let's go."  
He let go of the fabric of her shirt, quickly wrapping his fingers around her wrist and dragging her a few steps away from the poolside.  
"No," Morgan defended trying to get out of his grasp. "Gage can't swim!"  
The girl in question surfaced, her eyes pinched shut as she splashed helplessly around in the deep water – some of it dribbling from the corners of her mouth before she coughed, spraying it out in front of her.  
Another loud splash rippled the water, spraying Morgan before Lysander, too, surfaced, his arms wrapped around the other girl's middle as he held her up.  
"You're not going to drown," he reassured her, "don't worry."  
He helped her to the side of the pool before pushing her out and up onto the safety of the ledge where she coughed and spluttered, breathing rapidly.  
Castiel dropped his hand to his side as Lysander hoisted himself out of the water. Taking this as her chance, Morgan moved quickly away from the red head, and to her friends side, joined by Lysander a few moments later.  
Castiel took an unsure step forward. "I-I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't know."  
Morgan glanced up at her roommate and sighed. "I think it'll be best if you just go back to the Cabin, Castiel."  
Hanging his head in embarrassment and self-hate, Castiel moved away from the poolside and towards the campsite without a second glance.  
"Morgan," Lysander breathed quietly as he helped Gage into a sitting position. "Why would you let her near the pool if you knew she couldn't swim?"  
"S-she?" Morgan stammered as she watched her friends breathing relax. Lysander nodded.  
"I'm not stupid, you know. I just saved her life. Sure, oversized tee-shirts can hide _some _things… But a wet tee-shirt is another thing. And when she's clinging to you for dear life, well…"  
He trailed off, looking away.  
"Tell me – who else here is really a girl?"  
("Castiel. That's who!" Gage managed to grumble.)  
"Just us, as far as I know," Morgan said quietly, smiling down at her friend. "Please, Lysander – don't tell anyone."  
Lysander nodded, turning his gaze back to Gage. "You have my word."  
Letting out a quiet sigh, Morgan slumped backwards, glancing up at the cloudless sky.  
"Why do they always have to fight?" she mused quietly. In all honesty, her life would be content if Castiel and Gage could just get along – without insults, threats and violence. Better yet; she wished that Gage and Castiel never saw each other again. It'd be far calmer for all of them.  
Lysander chuckled quietly to himself.  
"That's like asking why leaves fall; it is in their nature."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: Tralala. World of Warcraft Pandarian quote in there. Seemed fitting enough, I guess.  
Speaking of which, that expansion comes out in a few days.  
/excited.**_

**_Yeah… This chapter… Because nobody ever goes to class in this game – I thought I'd skip the class scene here~_**  
**_Logic – I have it._**

_**Bam.  
CH out.  
**_


	11. A Perfectly Justified Reason

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 9 – A Perfectly Justified Reason  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**Anon review reply #10 – Kyoshi-not-so-baka**_

**Ahaha. But of course. The things we do for our education. It's ridiculous. Oh, Kim will be fine with it. It's Peggy, I think, that would have a problem. Hmmm, it was an alright school I guess. Just had a fail classical music course. Classical isn't fail, but it just doesn't suit a punk drummer.**  
**Why does Lysander get all of the girls? Because he has extreme amounts of Gangnam Style. That's why. And Swag. Whoo! Have a life club! I'm so joining. Actually, it got better for about two. Then I updated again. xD**  
**Castiel doesn't understand because…. I really don't know. CASTIEL WAE U SO CONFUSING?**  
**WAE?**  
**O.O Was that where I got the idea for the oneshot from? The part about only having to do exams? I think so. Although, I don't remember reading that part before. Psychic? I think so.**  
**Imapokemahnz!**  
**Oh, people have done that to you? I'm sorry. I've had my share of rumours, too. Especially when I broke up with my last boyfriend. The things he said. It's like "Please. Who'd believe that? People know I've got standards." I hope they stop soon. (:**

**Anon review reply #11 – aria**  
**Hmmm….. I dunno. You're going to have to wait until the next update to find out.**  
**Oh, look. A wild Update appeared!**  
**Wild Update used 'Plot-Fluff!'**  
**It's super effective.**  
**Gotta read em' all, right?**  
**… Why does it feel like I've already said that before?**

**xD**

**Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

It had been just over a week since the not-so-fateful encounter at Band Camp and Morgan had kept her distance from the red head. When she was forced to see him during class time –or worse yet, _forced _to speak to him, she offered only very simple, close-ended replies. This in turn drove Castiel insane, and for some odd reason, one of which he himself could not work out – it made him angrier than usual.

Of course, He had pushed Morgan's friend into the swimming pool. But it wasn't his fault! It was Gage's, obviously. The boy was just asking for trouble! Who sits by the pool when they can't swim anyway? He was practically asking to be pushed in. And then he had to go and provoke Castiel for no reason… It was his own fault.

Castiel shot a sideways glance at the small figure that sat silently beside him, head bent down over a worksheet. Morgan had been giving him the silent treatment for over two hours now – and for what reason? An absolutely ridiculous one. Most normal people would have gotten over it by now…

Chuckling quietly to himself, Castiel grinned smugly, his face hidden behind a veil of dyed red. That was right; Morgan wasn't normal. Everything about the new kid… Small, petite body. Large, innocent, round eyes. Small, somewhat elegant nose. Perfect, soft lips.

Immediately, Castiel froze. Soft lips? Where did that come from? How could he possibly kno- The night Morgan shared his bed with him… His lips touched- No!

He looked down at his History: Revolutions work quickly in an attempt to hide the flaming red that was flushing rapidly into his cheeks.

A quiet sigh from next to him made his heart stop, but yet he kept his gaze locked firmly on the textbook in front of him.

"What's wrong, Castiel?" Morgan asked, although the tone of voice didn't hold any trace of concern. "Don't tell me you're sick now. Your face is flushed."

Castiel shook his head quickly, scooping up his text book and holding it close to his face so as to hopefully hide the darkening scarlet. "I-I'm fine," he managed to growl – his best attempt to sound his usual, grouchy self.

"Good," Morgan replied lightly. "Because if you're sick, you better not sit with me. I've got too much to do and don't have time to come down with a fever."

Castiel's lips pressed into a thin line. That actually… Hurt. Morgan didn't care. Not in the slightest.  
Okay, fine. If that's how Shortround was going to act then so be it. Getting to his feet, Castiel quickly gathered his things and made his way to the front of the class. Lysander had a free period now, so they could just talk things over.

The teacher looked up as Castiel approached the front of the classroom, but after muttering a quick "I don't feel well," he was dismissed without any questions asked. Heading out and into the empty hallway, Castiel glanced around. Aside from looking for that damned notebook of his, where would Lysander be? Furrowing his brows slightly in thought he pictured his best friend around various parts of the school. Of course, the tree in the courtyard seemed the most logical place and so picking up his pace once more, Castiel headed for the doors at the end of the hallway.

As he stepped out into the bright sunlight, the red head lifted a hand to his eyes, shielding the suns glare and looked around. Sure enough, the tall, silver haired boy sat with his back up against the trunk of the tree. His head was tilted upwards and, it wasn't until Castiel had taken a seat next to him did he realise what his friend was looking at; a small sparrow balanced on a branch, nipping at its feathers and chirping. As Castiel took a seat next to his friend, Lysander lowered his head, his mismatched eyes locking onto Castiel's.

"Something is bothering you," he said quietly. "What?"

Castiel shook his head, offering his friend a one-shouldered shrug as he did so. "I don't get why Morgan is still so worked up about the pool…" he let his sentence trail off and fell quiet. It was odd trying to explain something like this to Lysander. It was complex, and most of all, he himself wasn't exactly sure what was bothering him.

"Well," Lysander suggested. "Logically, what would you do if somebody pushed me into a pool?"

"I'd laugh," Castiel replied honestly.

With a good-natured roll of his eyes, Lysander continued. "What if I couldn't swim? What if I was drowning?"

Castiel sighed. "I'd want to kick their arse... After saving you of course."

"See?" Lysander said softly. "You'd want to do anything to keep your best friend safe. "

Castiel nodded once, tilting his head upwards to glance at the Sparrow. "I guess. But Morgan is still ignoring me."

The silver haired boy sighed quietly. "If you would do the same thing, why would you push Gage in the first place?"

"I don't know," Castiel replied quietly. "Gage was always with Morgan. I mean, he was holding Gage's hand! I guess… I just got jealous. I don't want him near other guys."

Lysander arched his eyebrows, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips upwards. "Of course, so you push the guy into the pool. Is the fact that Morgan has other _boy _friends what's bothering you?"

Castiel frowned slightly. Lysander said boy friend very quickly. It sounded almost like- no.

"Yes," he sighed, defeated. "Lysander, I…"  
He shot a quick glance back at his friend, biting down hard on his bottom lip. He had to say it, especially now that he was certain of it. Lysander may not like it, but it was the truth.

"I think I'm in love with Morgan."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: **__Lalala, updated~  
Now you guys have something to read over the weekend. I'm so nice.  
Anyway, reviews make Authors happy.  
Happy authors means more updates.  
Yep, yep.  
_


	12. Burn

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 10 – Burn  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

**A/N: **_Don't get excited over the amount of words. Most of them are the anon replies. _

_**Anon Review Reply #12; Kyoshi-Not-So-Baka~  
Heeeeeey, know what that means? Your term three holidays were at the same time as my Uni holidays. C:  
Even though, if I remember correctly… You reviewed like ASDFGHJKL hella late. .  
Not that I ever sleep though… So I read your review like, ten minutes after I posted the chapter?  
Seventy? Eleven? Short? ;A;  
Ahhh~~ I'm sorry the chapters are so short~  
And actually, it's like… Ten chapters. Technically, cause of the three parter.  
Honestly, I don't even know why people like this story so much. _  
Hmm, I never noticed he was a great listener either. Probably because I'd be too busy like, talking and stuff to even realise he was paying attention. .  
Nah, I'm doing okay-ish. Slowly getting everything done. Ahh~ I'm sorry – it's not cause I was struggling all that bad. I just… Got lazy and kept putting updates for anything off.  
I contemplated putting off writing this one tonight cause I'm slightly drunk and have work tomorrow, but eh. It has got to get done.  
Awww, thank you. That made me smile~  
Saranghae~**_

**_Anon Review Reply #13 – aria_**  
**_I'm glad you found it surprising~_**  
**_And, hmmm… I honestly don't know._**  
**_Kekeke._**  
**_Not for a while, most likely._**  
**_Hurray for mentally torturing Castiel!_**

**_Anon Review Reply #14 – Anagram_**

**_Nooo, it's not failure. I'm actually very grateful for you leaving a review at all – so thank you~_**  
**_Hmm, what's going through my mind about this?_**  
**_Absolutely nothing._**  
**_Never is._**  
**_Each chapter is just like;_**  
**_'Hmm, oh, let's just throw this in here, and make this up as we go along~'_**  
**_Oh, gosh. Really? /accomplished._**  
**_This was actually my first THIRD person fic in forever, so I was so worried I'd just chuck the random 'I did-' in there._**  
**_Oh, I'm happy you like the pace it's going at currently. Relieved, even. Thank you~_**  
**_I have a nack for zooming through things purely to get them over and done with._**  
**_No, no. Your grammar and spelling were fine – not to worry~_**  
**_I'm glad you like the story thus far and hope you continue to like the upcoming chapters._**

**_Disclaimer; All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

**_~Deception is a Virtue~_**

The following few days passed rather slowly – Morgan avoiding Castiel at any chance she could seize. The red head himself attempting to strike up conversation with her any opening he could get.  
Morgan let out a quiet sigh as she rocked backwards on her chair, her gaze turning to the window.  
Yes, she may have been not talking to him, but at what cost? Her days were filled with silence – nothing but the teachers' monotone drawl – and they seemed to lack in something. Something that, as much as Morgan hated to admit it… Something only Castiel could give.  
Atmosphere?  
Humour?  
Endless insults?  
Or perhaps all three.  
Closing her eyes, Morgan made a face. Yes, she decided. Yes, it was all three. Although, she was _never _going to admit that to him, of course. That would make his already big head even larger.  
Cracking her eyes open, Morgan shot a glance at the red head boy who remained hunched over his Physical Education: Theory worksheet. The corners of her lips tugged upwards into a small smile as she saw how intensely he was focusing on a question.  
Yes; he was the reason her days were so empty, or rather, lack thereof.  
"Hm?" Castiel asked, lifting his gaze slightly, his eyes hidden beneath his dyed fringe. "Something wrong, Morgan?"  
Quickly, Morgan looked away, slightly flustered that she had been caught staring.  
"N-no," she said, "I'm fine. I was just stuck on a question and wanted to see if you had finished it."  
Castiel nodded his head slowly. "I see," he said. "Well, that depends. Are you talking to me again?"  
Morgan glanced back at him, one eyebrow raised. "Well," she mimicked, "that depends. Will you help me with the question if I do?"  
Castiel let out a long, drawn-out sigh and he pretended to weigh the positives and negatives of Morgan's wager.  
"Okay," he said at last. "I guess you leave me with no choice."  
"Hey!" Morgan defended and gave him a gentle shove on the shoulder before sliding her worksheet across the small gap between them and leaning closer. "It's this question I don't understand – it isn't in the textbook anywhere."  
"Repertory…" Castiel murmured quietly, glancing once at the worksheet before thumbing through the pages of the textbook. After landing on the appropriate page, he trailed the tip of his index finger down the wall of text.  
"Here," he said, pushing the textbook back towards Morgan. "You just need to write down the first two lines and that should be fine."  
"Oh!" Morgan smiled, "I see. So, just this?" She reached out to trace a circle around the area of text with her own fingertip, quickly drawing it back to her side when it brushed along the side of Castiel's hand.  
"Sorry," she muttered quickly. "And thanks. I'll write that now."  
Castiel glanced up at his friend, the corners of his lips tugging upwards into a soft smile.  
"Don't be," he said quietly before turning back to his work.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

The shrill sound of the bell echoed throughout Sweet Amoris Academy for Boys and Morgan stretched, relieved that classes had finished for the day. She had a mountain of homework the size of Mount Everest strewn in messy piles throughout any empty surface in her bedroom and had finally convinced herself to make a start on it.  
Quickly stuffing her Physical Education textbook in her locker, she grabbed out her bag, slinging it over one shoulder. Closing her locker, Morgan turned, letting out a quiet cry of surprise. A familiar red haired, leather jacket clad figure stood in front of her, his arms folded in front of his chest, his eyes cast downward.  
"Castiel?" Morgan asked, tilting her head to the side. "What are you doing here? I would have thought that you would be the first one to leave the school."  
"Yeah, well," Castiel said, his voice low as he shifted uncomfortably. "There's this really awesome looking movie that just came out in the cinemas and, er, well…" he lifted his gaze slightly so he could look at the small figure that stood before him. "Did you want to come see it with me tonight? I, er, I don't want to go by myself, cause that's just uncool."  
Morgan stared at him for a few moments, speechless before she finally seemed to find her voice once more.  
"I, er-"  
No, she couldn't go. Homework, she had too much homework to do.  
"Just as friends," Castiel added quickly, his gaze moving back to the floor, a veil of dyed red shielding his eyes.  
Morgan's lips tugged upwards into a slight smile and she chuckled. "Well of course," she joked. "What else would we be? Sure, I'll go."  
"Really?" Castiel asked, "that's great. But, uh, Morgan?"  
Morgan rolled her eyes as the two walked side by side out of the schoolyard. "Yes?"  
Castiel chuckled awkwardly. "We're going to have to go into the cinema at different times, so, you know… Nobody thinks we're together. That would be, heh – that would be awkward, wouldn't it?"

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

"Alright," Castiel said passing Morgan her ticket. "You go head in and, I'll meet you in there." Turning to leave, Morgan's arm shot out, catching him by the hem of his jacket.  
"Wait, where are you going?"  
Castiel looked over his shoulder at her, a small shade of pink tinting his cheeks as he looked first at the small, seemingly fragile hand that was clasped tightly around the hemming of his jacket, and then at the determined expression on Morgan's face.  
"I feel like a coffee," he said simply. "Did you want one?"  
"Coffee?" Morgan asked, shaking her head quickly. "At the _cinema_? Uh, no thanks."  
Sighing as Castiel left, Morgan turned, making her way into the dark cinema room and taking a chair in an empty row. Placing her bag on the ground, Morgan stretched her hands out in front of her, bringing them to settle on the plush chair arms.  
After waiting for a few minutes in silence as the trailers began to play, she noticed out of the corner of her eye Castiel manoeuvring his way through the aisle towards her, a foam cup in one hand, the plastic lid in the other.  
After taking a few more steps towards her, Castiel's boot connected with her bag and he stumbled forward, the foam cup sliding out of his hand.  
Morgan let out a cry of pain as the burning sensation washed first through her hand and then slowly up her body. The brown liquid dribbled off the sides of her hand leaving a large, red mark in its stead. Quickly, she clenched her jaw shut to stop herself from screaming.  
Immediately, Castiel was at her side, concern and guilt glittering in his dark eyes.  
"Morgan," he breathed. "I'm so sorry. I-"  
"It's fine," she replied through gritted teeth as she got rather awkwardly to her feet. Water – she needed to find water.  
"No," Castiel said as he gripped her wrist and tugged her towards the entrance, scooping her bag up as he did so. "It's not fine – it's all my fault."  
As they stepped into the brightly lit hallway, Castiel turned around to get a better look at the burn on Morgan's hand. Gently, he ran a thumb over it, watching, saddened, as Morgan flinched.  
"Come on," he said softly. "We need to run it under cold water."  
Towing her into the foyer, Castiel made for the boys toilets.  
"Wait!" Morgan stammered. "I-I can't go in there!"  
Pushing the door open, Castiel paused, turning to look at her. "Of course you can," he said, tilting his head to the side. "Morgan, you're hurt – but you're not about to get murdered if you go in here. You're not _that _vulnerable."  
"No," Morgan insisted, tugging back on Castiel's hand, trying her best to ignore the searing pain that still washed through her. "It's- it's fine, really! Let's just go back, we're missing the movie!"  
Castiel shook her head before giving her one hard tug into the male toilets.  
"I don't care about that stupid movie," he said flatly. "Not while you're hurt."  
Turning the basin tap on with one hand, he pulled Morgan's under the cold stream of water and she let out a quiet hiss of pain as the icy liquid stung against the burning sensation.  
Rolling his eyes, Castiel cupped his hands around hers, allowing the water to remain atop the burn.  
"Does it still hurt?" he asked, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.  
"No," Morgan replied, trying to shake her hand free. Instead, Castiel placed his hands on the bottom of hers, holding it under the icy flow of water.  
"Stop being stubborn, Morgan," he sighed. "It does."  
"Fine," Morgan grumbled. "It does, but it's a lot better. Can we just… Go back now?"  
Castiel shook his head, turning Morgan's hand over in his, allowing the icy liquid to run over both of their hands.  
"No," he said flatly. "Just… Just this once, _let _me help you. _Let _me be the one to help take away the pain. Please…"

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

**_A/N:_**

_LOL corny ending.  
Enjoy~ _


	13. The Photo - Lysander's Girlfriend?

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 11 – The Photo; Lysander's Girlfriend?  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: **__Ermahgerd! Chapter eleven! _

_**Anon Review Reply #15 – Lazy Hero**_

_I'm so sorry to hear that; her fanfiction was absolutely brilliant and I was also quite upset to hear that it was over.  
While I'm very honoured that this fanfiction is slowly filling that hole, I'm afraid daily updates for this story cannot happen as I'm a full time student and work part time.  
However, my Uni course finishes in four weeks, and then I can spend the Summer locked up in my room updating away~~~  
c:  
I do hope that you continue to enjoy this and I will do my best to help the hole mend faster.  
…Wow, that sounded corny.  
Er, yeah. ^^'_

_**Anon Review Reply #16 – Guest  
**__Really now?  
So do I. Heh.  
Gage is from the brilliant mind of acidveins.  
However, she's only a minor character until the Battle of the Bands arc._

_**Anon Review Reply #17 – Anagram  
**__Ahaha, that made me laugh so much!  
That face. Oh, gosh!  
Noooooo! Don't dieeeeeeeeeeeee!  
Please?  
Oh, this theatre scene was inspired from the K-Drama in which it is loosely based from;  
Ultimate K-pop Survival. I think you'd like it.  
Or, that scene… At least. ^^  
Plus, it gives off hints as to what I'm going to include in some upcoming chapters.  
Although… They're all in a jumbled order from the drama. (;  
Aha, I think it's his BAMF personality that makes him cute.  
Or maybe the fact that… "Come to the movies with me! But… Ew, you can't walk in with me."_

_**Disclaimer; **__Insert disclaimer here. Lalalalalalala guise I have a Harry Potter party tomorrow~_

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

"What happened to your hand?" Lysander asked quietly, his mismatched eyes fixed on Morgan's heavily –and not to mention awkwardly- bandages hand during lunch as the two of them sat beneath the large tree in the Sweet Amoris Academy For Boy's courtyard, waiting for Castiel to arrive.  
The red headed delinquent had been called back after class to wait out a short twenty minute detention, which in turn, left Morgan alone with Lysander – it wasn't as though he was horrible, or hard to get along with for that matter. It's just – he was awkward around her now that he knew she was a girl; extraordinarily careful, as though if he said one small thing wrong – it would offend her greatly. It was this sort of cautiousness that annoyed Morgan. It wasn't as though she was some fragile damsel in distress who always needed to be rescued by some red head in shining armour. No. Not at all – she was independent. Confident. She was… Making Lysander wait for her reply.  
Looking at the ground in embarrassment, Morgan gingerly tucked her bandaged hand into her jacket pocket.  
"Nothing," she said simply. "I, er… I just cut myself this morning while slicing up a grapefruit.  
"Grapefruit?" Lysander asked, arching his eyebrows and surveying the girl who sat beside him through his veil of silvery hair. Quickly, he made a face. "Who eats grapefruit for breakfast, Morgan? Really? Now… You can tell me what happened to your hand _or _you can suffer quietly with the thought that I might have something that can help. But, since I don't know what it is that is bothering you, well… I can't give it to you. The choice is entirely up to you."  
Morgan slumped her shoulders in defeat and, upon seeing the submissive action – Lysander's lips gently tugged upwards in a triumphant, yet soft smile.  
"Castiel accidentally burnt me yesterday," she muttered quietly, brushing her fringe out of her eyes.  
Lysander's mismatched eyes widened briefly in surprise before he let out a quiet sigh.  
"Oh, did he now? Well…" Fishing around in his pocket, Lysander pulled out a small red tube of Papaw ointment and dropped it into Morgan's lap. "Here," he said simply. "Apply this – it'll help keep the skin moist. Also…" Quickly glancing away, Lysander cleared his throat. "This is going to sound really weird, but – you're under a lot of stress as of late, and I think the best way to fix that is to have a girly day."  
"A girly day?" Morgan asked surprised. "Why would I do that?"  
Lysander turned to face her, a small smile on his face once more. "I'll take you to my brother's store tonight after class for you to just unwind. Nobody will see you, so your secret will still be safe."  
Morgan let out a quiet sigh as she contemplated his suggestion. He _was _right after all, and besides – what's the worst that could happen?  
"Alright," Morgan said after a few moments of pondering, glancing up at the taller boy. She nodded once in his direction, the corners of her lips pulling upwards into a smile. "I'll go."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan could feel her mouth drop open as she followed Lysander into his brothers –_unique_- store.  
Rows upon rows of laced, chule-skirts and dresses with ribbon corsets hung on glittering silver hangers which sparkled in the warm glow of the overhanging main chandelier. While these sorts of eccentric styles and heavily embodied bustier's were certainly not what she was expecting to see, she felt that she now fully understood where Lysander got his fashion sense from, although why she hadn't been able to guess beforehand was completely beyond her.  
"Well?" Lysander smiled as he lead her over to a particularly heavy-looking, layered white dress. Its heavily jewelled diamante-encrusted cross over strap shimmered in the light. "What do you think?"  
"It's, er," Morgan said as she looked around, at loss for words. "It's certainly different."  
Lysander chuckled quietly to himself, passing her the dress before leading her to the change rooms. "Try this on," he said simply. "I'll leave you a pair of shoes just outside the door. Put them on, too."  
"Why?" Morgan asked, unsure. "They're going to be _heels_ right?"  
"Well," Lysander replied, amused. "Did you want to be short forever?"  
Point taken.  
Morgan grumbled her response to the older boy before closing the door behind her and pulled her shirt over her head.  
Heels… What in Lysander's right mind could possibly possess him to think that _she _of all people would wear those… Things. They were awkward, inconvenient and… Morgan sucked in a deep breath. She couldn't walk in them. Of course, she had tried – countless times, but each attempt would end the same way; with her sitting on the ground in a somewhat daze, wondering how it was so hard to keep her balance.  
"Here," Lysander said from the other side of the change room door, sliding a small, sleek looking shoe box in the small gap between the floor and door. "These should suit. My brother helped pick them. Do you have the dress on yet?"  
Groaning quietly, Morgan lifted the corner of the shoe box lid. Well, at least he had been considerate enough to choose shoes with the smallest possible heel.  
"Uh, yeah. Just give me a second," she replied quickly, pulling the silvery sandal-like shoes onto her feet and fastening the buckles on the side.  
Slowly, she unlocked the door and stuck her head out through the small gap.  
"I look stupid, Lysander."  
Quickly, the silver haired boy shook his head. "No, you're feeling awkward. It's impossible to _look _stupid when I picked your outfit for you."  
After offering his hand, Morgan slowly opened the change room door and wobbled awkwardly to Lysander's side.  
"See?" he said, tilting his head to the side. "You look fine. Almost like an _actual _girl for once."  
A tall, dark haired boy moved to Lysander's side, smiling warmly at the two of them.  
"Ah, this must be Morgan," he said, his voice like silk and oddly distant. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Leigh, Lysander's brother."  
Slowly, he took a step forward, looking Morgan –who tugged awkwardly at the hem of her dress- up and down before nodding in approval. "It suits you very well," he said. "Perhaps you would like a photo? Lysander said this shopping trip was to help you relax. Maybe with a photo, you can look back and feel at ease again."  
Morgan grinned. "That sounds great, actually. Lysander, would you like to be in it, too?"  
Lysander sighed, slumping his shoulders slightly. He wasn't exactly one for photos, but he wasn't one to say no, either.  
"Alright," he said quietly. "Just one."  
Leigh nodded before disappearing, returning a few moments later with a Polaroid camera.  
"Okay," he said, adjusting the settings and lifting the camera to his eye. "Are you ready?"  
Lysander rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around Morgan's shoulder.  
"Ready as we'll ever be."  
A bright silvery flash illuminated the clothing store before a small white photo printed out.  
It took a few moments before the red and black splodges that crowded Morgan's vision to vanish before she was properly able to collect the photo that Leigh held out to her. As the photo came into focus, she let out a happy sigh – this was something that she would carry with her. Something she could look at whenever she needed to be reminded of who she really was. Quickly and carefully, she slipped the polaroid into her wallet.  
"Thank you," she smiled, before turning to Lysander. "Thank _you_; I needed this."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~  
**_

Morgan sat with her back leaning against the wall of the music room, thumbing through her wallet for her bus ticket.  
Band practice had concluded slightly later than it usually would have, and Morgan knew better than to walk the streets at night. Placing her wallet on the desk beside her, Morgan scooped up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.  
A throat cleared from her left and Morgan spun around in that direction.  
"Oh, Lysander," she greeted. "Hi."  
Nodding his greeting, Lysander motioned for her to follow him and they walked slowly through the classroom, stopping just out in the hallway.  
"How are you feeling today?" he asked. "Any better?"  
"Much more relaxed," Morgan smiled. "And, I know I've already said it, but, thanks again. For everything."  
"My pleasure," Lysander said. "Now you better get going before it's too dark. I'll see you tomorrow."  
The two walked side by side out of the school yard before Lysander turned left, and Morgan headed right, towards the bus stop that ran past her house.  
Morgan smiled to herself as the crisp night air washed across her body, and she felt strangely content.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~  
**_

Castiel grumbled to himself as he made his way back into the music room. Those good for nothing bandmates had forced him to return all the instruments to the storage room. Honestly, what happened to being a team?  
A long string of profanity escaped his lips as he noticed the empty music room – it was completely desolate. They had all gone home. Even… Even Morgan had left him behind.  
Slinging his guitar bag over his shoulder, Castiel turned to leave when something black caught his eye. Moving closer to the table, Castiel scooped up the small, leather wallet in his hands and frowned. Someone had forgotten their wallet. How stupid could they be?  
Opening it, his eyes caught sight of a small piece of white plastic, poking out of the notes compartment. Slipping it out, Castiel unfolded it.  
"A photo…?" he asked, glancing at the polaroid. The corners of his lips tugged upwards into a small smile. "I didn't know Lysander had a girlfriend."  
He made to re-fold the Polaroid when something, once again, caught his eye. Something about the girl. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he squinted at the polaroid. The breath caught in his throat and he could do nothing but stare until he somehow managed to find his voice once more.  
His voice; low, hoarse. As though he had been stabbed in the back. Betrayed. As though his heart had been broken.  
"Morgan…?"

_**~Deception is a Virtue~  
**_

_**A/N: **__So, you were all wondering how he'd find out.  
Well, here you go.  
You're welcome. :3  
But let me tell you – the mental torture is not over yet._


	14. Misunderstandings

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 12 – Misunderstandings  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

**A/N: **_Another update, this one to celebrate 100 reviews. Hurray! Thank you all!  
(Yes, 100 reviews is my excuse… Because I don't want to admit that this fanfic has secretly become my favourite one to write… And that I have mild writers block for TABU. . ) _

_**Anon Review Reply #18 – **__Lazy Hero  
Kekekeke. He certainly is!  
Silly Castiel.  
Is it now?  
;D  
Everyone has assumed that.  
Oh, I'm glad to hear it~^^_

_**Anon Review Reply #19 – **__Stella  
Whatchu do to get grounded for life?  
Forget to let Tyson out of whatever wardrobe you had him locked in?  
xD  
Yay for stealing his iPod though.  
Brothers come in handy sometimes~~^^_

_**Anon Review Reply #20 – **__Le Guest  
Did he?  
You guysall like assuming he has.  
Teehee~  
xD  
Even on MCL.  
Everyone's like "AHHHH! HE KNOWS!"  
It's quite sweet, really. C: _

_**Disclaimer; **__It's honestly too hot here to concentrate on anything right now… And my mind keeps wandering to frozen yogurt and the fact that I should be washing my car._

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Castiel shifted awkwardly in his seat the following morning during History; Revolutions, occasionally stealing glances at Morgan who sat next to him, head bowed, pen furiously scribbling in answers to questions.  
Letting out a quiet sigh, Castiel reached into the pat pocket farthest from Morgan and slipped the polaroid photo out, infolding it and quietly –and inconspicuously- as possible.  
How could Lysander not have told him earlier? Heck, how could he not have realised himself? It was so blatantly obvious. Castiel glanced upwards at the clock before stuffing the polaroid into his pocket once more.  
He needed answers, and, of course, he was going to get them.  
Lysander surely wasn't going to be of much help, seeing as he had kept Morgan's secret for so long.  
Castiel clenched his fists at that. Lysander was his best friend – how could he possibly- No.  
It was Morgan whom he was going to be getting his answers from; regardless of whether Morgan wanted to or not. Another glance upwards at the small clock that hung on the wall made the corners of Castiel's lips tug upwards into a small smirk.  
Their first break was drawing nearer, and that, he had decided, was when he was going to pull Morgan aside and demand answers…  
And, of course… Return the wallet. Castiel chuckled quietly to himself at that – yes, he had almost forgotten about that completely.  
His hard eyes were fixed upon the small red second hand, following its circular movement around the face of the clock and, with each tick of the second hand, he grew closer to answers.  
Letting out a –rather loud- sigh of relief as the shrill sound of the bell echoed throughout the classroom, Castiel got quickly to his feet and, without waiting for Morgan to pack up, grabbed her firmly by the wrist and pulled her out of the classroom.  
"What do you think you're doing?" she growled, trying to shake her wrist free as the two of them entered the courtyard to the side of the school.  
Castiel rolled his eyes, pulling her behind the large oak tree that stood off to one side – that way, they were completely concealed. Nobody would think to even look there for them.  
"You know perfectly well what I'm doing," he replied, his dark eyes narrowed. "You have something you're hiding from me. I _know _what it is, Morgan. But I want _you _to tell me still – and be honest."  
Morgan tilted her head to the side, confused. "I don't know what you-"  
She was cut off quickly by Castiel digging his hand into his pocket before pulling out her wallet and holding it out to her.  
"This is what I mean," he said simply, chuckling as Morgan's eyes widened and she quickly snatched it out of his hands. Castiel's chuckle, however, held no traces of amusement.  
Pulling the leather wallet open, Morgan looked through it, a worried expression playing across her face.  
"Looking for this?" Castiel asked, holding the polaroid photo between his index and middle finger. As Morgan made to grab it, his lips tugged upwards into a small smile and he held It just out of her reach.  
"I know your secret," he said simply finally surrendering the photo to the horrified figure in front of him. "But…"  
He sucked in a deep breath, looking away. "Why didn't you tell me? Morgan, I-"  
"Are you crazy?" Morgan asked, dumbfounded. "If I told you… Heck, if _anyone _aside from Lysander knew, I… I would have had to leave the school."  
At this, Castiel arched his eyebrows. _"Why?"_  
"Why?" Morgan repeated. Honestly, a picture was worth a thousand words as it is, and now, the delinquent expected an explanation? "Because I-"  
"Because you would have been laughed at?" Castiel chuckled. "That's a stupid reason to drop out. Morgan, everyone has their own hobbies. And, for you, yours is simply cross-dressing."  
"Cross-dressing?" Morgan asked unsure. Sure, she was cross-dressing, but…  
"Yes," Castiel nodded. "But don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone that you're trying to be a drag queen – if anything…" he sucked in a deep breath, looking away. "I think dresses suit you."  
"_What?"  
_Morgan let out a sigh, running her hands through her short black hair. How could he possibly- He didn't think she was a girl? How delirious and thick skulled could someone possibly be?  
Castiel grinned. "So your hobby is dressing up like a girl, that doesn't bother me."  
Lifting a hand, he brushed Morgan's fringe out of her eyes.  
"Uh…?" Morgan began, uncertain. "What are you doing?"  
The red head quickly retracted his hand, his smile growing wider.  
"Forget it, let's just get going."  
The two walked side by side throughout the schoolyard in a comfortable –not so much for Morgan- silence before Castiel came to an abrupt halt, chuckling quietly to himself.  
Slightly confused, Morgan stopped beside him, tilting her head to the side.  
"You know, Shortround," Castiel grinned, "you'd make quite a good girl."  
Resisting from choking on her breath, Morgan rolled her eyes as the two resumed their slow pace throughout the school yard.  
"You don't know the half of it."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: **__Trololol.  
Kays~ I'm good now._

_Short update?_  
_Here's a secret; I know already._  
_I wrote this in about forty minutes, simply because I felt like I had to post the next chapter quickly._  
_I finish my course for the year in about four weeks, so please be patient with delayed updates until then.  
And then... I shall spend the summer writing away~^^ _


	15. Lysander

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 13 –Lysander.  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

_**A/N: **__So… It's been a while, huh? Seriously, I've gone through withdrawals from not writing these things but… Y'know… My academic future in my University comes first, blah, blah, and all of that jazz.  
Anyway, good news. I am now on summer holidays. Yep. Four months of locking myself up in my room (because let's face it – I'm never gonna get a tan anyway) and writing away~  
Hurray for (obviously) having no social life.  
Pfft, kidding.  
I'll probably be out in the city most nights and drinking things I probably shouldn't.  
xD_

_**Anon Review Reply #21 **__Guest  
Kekekeke, I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter.  
And, well… She is cross-dressing?  
o.O  
Double entendre? I think so~  
Teehee~~_

_**Anon Review Reply #22 **__Lazy Hero  
Daww, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much dear.  
And I'm sorry for the delay in updates.  
Aww, I'm glad there's no longer a hole in your heart.  
*feels accomplished*  
Hummm…  
Every three days provided I update.  
Aha~^^_

_**Anon Review Reply #23 **__Guest the Second / Anagram  
ASDFGHJ  
You're forgivennnnnnnnnn~  
Whooo! Girls' Day!  
Don't worry, it's the same with me. I'm super mega short, too. Le sigh~  
Aaaaaaaaaactually, yus.  
Ding, ding, ding~ We have a winner!  
Sortakindatoanextent.  
Oh. Erm… No, no.  
You were right. But he's not gonna be mad at Morgan.  
He's too whipped for that. xP  
LOL! That seriously made me laugh.  
Yeah, well… She's warming up to him. So…  
Let herself be, er, whisked away by him…?  
I shall join you in that partially.  
But mine shall be a facetruck.  
*facetruck*  
And thaaank yew~ *w*  
I've finished now. Huzzah!  
_

_**Anon Review Reply #24 **__Kyoshi-not-so-Babo  
Heeeyooooo~~~^^  
Nah, it's fine, don't worry~  
Ooooh, what phone is that one? O.O  
And yeah, I know the feeling.  
I've done that with part of a chapter for my Boys over Flowers fanfic before.  
¾ done (cause I have nothing to do while I wait for my friend to actually GET to where I am… She's always like, an hour or so late? . ) so I type. And accidentally deleted it.  
Didn't update that fic for like, seven months as a result of my ever-lasting rage.  
I'm sorry I make things too easy for you.  
_*cries*  
Ahem~  
Oh yeah~! I forgot to include that and I promised you on like… the second chapter or something?  
Yeah. It will happen.

_**I think that's all of them. Phew~ *wipes forehead*  
**_

_**~Deception is a Virtue~  
**_

Castiel gritted his teeth as he watched Morgan and Lysander laugh and joke as they sat side by side, their backs leaning up against the large tree in the courtyard. Slowly, Castiel felt his fists clench tightly together, his knuckles and the surrounding skin whitening considerably.  
Why was Morgan getting along so well with Lysander? What sort of trickery was Lysander playing at trying to coax Morgan to him? Brows furrowed, Castiel let out a quiet sigh as be backed slowly into the hallway from which he had come from only mere seconds earlier. So, that was it, was it? How it was going to be? Lysander had somehow convinced Morgan to… Fall for him? Yes, that would explain the photo that he had found in Morgan's wallet.  
As it was, Lysander had convinced Morgan to like him. To maybe even fall for him…  
"Lysander," Castiel said, his tone overcast as he looked through the small glass panel in the center of the door, eyeing the laughing silver haired boy dangerously. "You're sick."  
Shaking his head, Castiel turned making his way to the music room to practice his music lesson before the afternoon music class.  
Morgan was with Lysander and there was nothing he could do about it.  
Passing a cluster of lockers, the red head's fist made contact with an small metal door, denting it considerably. Letting out a content sigh as he felt his frustration and anger wash out of him, Castiel's lips tugged upwards into a grim smile as he disappeared into the music room. Good luck trying to open your locker now, Amber.  
Unzipping his prized possession from its case, Castiel perched on the nearest desk, plucking at the strings absently. He couldn't think clearly, not after what he just saw. After a few more minutes of plucking –rather aggressively- at his strings, he let out an annoyed groan and set his guitar on the table beside him.  
"They're just friends," he growled, trying to reassure himself. "Just friends."  
Reaching out for the neck of his guitar, he plucked at a single string, listening to the dull twang that echoed throughout the classroom for several moments before a quiet sigh escaped his lips. Leaning backwards on the table, he ran a hand through his dyed red hair as he pondered a question that was easily answerable – no matter how much he wished it wasn't.  
"If they're just friends then why does it hurt?"  
Obviously, Castiel thought to himself angrily, I like him. Lysander knew that so why would he even-  
Closing his eyes, the red head's lips pressed into a thin line, his face devoid of all emotion.  
"He… Did it on purpose?" he breathed quietly. Clenching his teeth, Castiel sat up, his eyes opening once more. Yes – Lysander is luring Morgan to him on purpose and Castiel had to step in before it was too late.

**~Deception is a Virtue~**

It was after school when Castiel decided to approach Lysander on the matter. Eyes narrowed, fists clenched, he managed to corner the silver haired boy as he was headed towards the courtyard, alone, in search of his notepad.  
"What was _that_ all about?" Castiel snapped angrily, infuriated by the taller boy's seeming confusion on the matter.  
Lysander tilted his head to the side uncertainly, his mismatched eyes catching the sunlight.  
"I'm not quite sure what you mean," he replied smoothly.  
Castiel's eyebrow twitched in frustration. "This afternoon with Morgan, acting all couple-y. The little _date _with him and the photo of him in a dress – What do you _think _I mean?"  
Lysander stared at him blankly for a few moments trying to piece together what exactly it was that Castiel was mad about when finally, his mind clicked.  
"It wasn't a date," he said simply, attempting to side step around the enraged red head. "Morgan just needed time to unwind, that's all."  
Lysander resisted rolling his eyes – Castiel was acting brash and it angered him that his best friends would jump to conclusions about a girl, or, er, who he thought was a boy. Surely one snide remark in return would make it even.  
The corners of his lips tugged upwards into a brief smile before vanishing completely as he turned to face his friend.  
"Besides, you and Morgan aren't even together – so what if we went on a _date_?"  
_Wham!  
_Castiel's clenched fist made contact with Lysander's perfect cheekbone and the silver haired boy stumbled backwards from the impact. As pain washed through Lysander, he touched his cheek gingerly, glancing up at the fuming red head.  
"You're crazy," Lysander said darkly. "Absolutely crazy."  
Castiel brandished his fist in front of him, his coal-coloured eyes narrowed dangerously. Taking a step towards the silver haired boy, his lips curled upwards into a half snarl.  
"Stay the hell away from Morgan," he hissed before turning, leaving the silver haired boy alone.  
And, it was with one simple comment, one seemingly innocent remark that a friendship was now fraying at the edges.  
Lysander, beaten and angered. Castiel, seemingly betrayed. And Morgan, tangled in a web of confusion and deception, and completely unaware of it all.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N:**_

_Don't hate me, please. I updated. Yep_  
_And…_  
_If it makes you feel any better; in my non-updating time, I spent a week and a half writing one essay._  
_**One.**_  
_One of six._

_Uni sucks._  
_Buuuuuuuut, I've finished for the year._  
_Yay~_

_Wanna know a fun little tidbit?  
No? Okay~  
This was supposed to be a short series consisting of no more than five chapters.  
That's how I originally planned it, anyways.  
Gosh, I'm only a little bit over. xD_

_Yep._

_CH out._


	16. EnGageing

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 14 – En_gage_ing  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

**_A/N: PLEASE READ END AUTHOR NOTES TOO TO FIND OUT WHY THIS IS SO SHORT. AIGHT?  
Homm… I would bother explaining the title buuuuut…. That's for you to figure out on your own.  
Guise, I know how to actually spell engaging.  
Sorry for the delay. I would have updated sooner but… Life sucks. Wae you so busy? Wae you go duh work every day?  
Wae? Cause…  
I like money and… Other materialistic things._**

_**Merry Christmas Eve, erbuddy~!**  
_

_**Anon Review Reply #26 – **__Lazy Hero_

Haha, he certainly is~!  
Not sure why, though.  
Hmmmm….  
He's just imagining things, I guess.  
Oh, good.  
Thank you for understanding, buuuut, I'm sorry Uni is a pain for you, too.

Evil Uni.  
Gah~!  
*wriggles*  
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you~~!  
Poor Lysa baby D:  
I feel bad for him.  
Wae?  
Cause Castiel is a dick. :  
Hmph~! Mean Castiel!

_**Disclaimer; **__Lalala. This is getting harder to write…_

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan lifted her head as the silver haired boy sat down next to her at the bus stop - the corners of her lips instantly tugged upwards into a smile.  
"Morning Lysander," she greeted, "I didn't expect to bump into you on a weekend. Honestly, I thought you'd be over at Castiel's house."  
Lysander offered Morgan a one-shoulder shrug and sighed. "I don't think I'm welcome there anymore."  
Morgan arched her eyebrows in suspicion and, sensing a string of never ending questions from the girl, Lysander quickly continued; "I was actually hoping I'd bump into you today."  
This stumped his companion and she frowned slightly in confusion. After mulling the possibilities over in her mind for a few short moments, Morgan finally settled on an adequate response.  
"And why's that?"  
Yes, that seemed logical, not to mention certainly not demanding… Or prying.  
Again, Lysander shrugged and Morgan fell silent, expecting no answer from the mysterious boy. Looking down at her hands, she let out a quiet sigh.  
It should have been expected – Lysander, despite his quiet personality prefers the 'show, don't tell,' approach. Cussing herself for her stupidity, Morgan resisted shaking her head – why would he tell her when he could show her instead? Oh well. Curiosity _did _kill the cat after all. Maybe it's for the best if he didn't-  
"I wanted to ask you something."  
This made Morgan glance back up at the silver haired boy whose mismatched eyes sparkled intensely.  
Completely surprised by Lysander's forwardness, she tilted her head to the side.  
"Ask away."  
Lysander furrowed his brows quickly as he attempted to string together what he was about to ask.  
"I can't think of any way to properly get around the question without jeopardizing our friendship," he said seriously, his voice low. "I'm sure you've already guessed what I'm about to ask because of my actions as of late."  
He turned slightly on the bus bench to take in her reaction.  
"Please remember Morgan, after I tell you this – no matter what, I still want us to be friends."  
Immediately, Morgan froze. This… This wasn't a confession, was it? How could she respond? It wasn't as though she didn't like Lysander… But somehow she felt as though just by sitting here, she was hurting that… That red haired… Arrogant… Egotistical… She felt as though she was hurting Castiel.  
Uncertainly, Morgan looked away.  
"I'd like it if we could be friends," she said quietly, hoping that the silver haired boy would catch on.  
Lysander nodded, satisfied with his answer before continuing.  
"I'd like to know what Gage thinks of me."  
"G-Gage?" Morgan asked, perplexed, yet oddly relieved. And to think… She thought Lysander was about to confess his feelings to her! _Ha!_ How utterly ridiculous. She let out a small laugh to cover up her awkward thoughts. "Well… She doesn't really think anything of you."  
At this, Lysander frowned. "Oh."  
Quickly –and somewhat defensively- Morgan waved her hands in front of her.  
"No, no. I didn't mean like… That she doesn't- Oh, forget I even said that. What I mean is… Well, she's only really met you a few times – and only for a short while, so it's unlikely that she really… Ah! You get what I mean, right?"  
Chuckling quietly to himself, Lysander nodded once.  
"As much as one possibly can," he teased before adding as an afterthought; "Well, maybe I can meet with her again. I'll ask her myself then."  
Morgan grinned at her friend. "Lysander? Do you like Gage?"  
Shrugging, Lysander's lips tugged upwards into a small, teasing smile – his mismatched eyes glittered mischievously.  
"I wouldn't know," he said. "I've only met her a few times and, only for a short while…"

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N:**_

_This is just a quick update to show you guys I haven't actually died in the whole… End of world thing…  
Yeah.  
Nah, I got myself a new Mayan calendar, so, it's all good.  
Homm.  
Yeah.  
This is an early Christmas present, I guess.  
Erm…  
Particularly formy good friends Willow and Acid, seeing as it's centered around their characters. Haha.  
Gonna try and update properly on Boxing Day (That'd be Christmas Day for you Americans, Canadians, French, Russian… And anyone who doesn't share the same time zone as Australia)because… I finish work early afternoon-ish so will have time.  
Hurray~!_

_I need to find time to work on my novel, too.  
Kay. From now on, if I don't update a story on here for at least a week, it's cause I'm working on mah novel.  
Whoo~_

_LOL it's derp. TT^TT_

_Anyway, yeah.  
Happy early Christmas and have a safe new year._

_-CH_


	17. Him and Her

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 15 – Him and Her.  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

**A/N: **Aaaand… here's the Boxing Day update I promised.  
Do they have Boxing Day in countries other than Australia?  
I dunno. Possibly…  
Regardless…. Guise, I got the cutest monochromatic tuxedo jacket today~

**Anon Review Reply #25 – **_TooLazyToLogin_

_You started today? Well… The other day?  
Welcome, new reader~  
I'm very happy you've enjoyed my derp so far._

_A CASGAN SHIPPER!_  
_WHOOOOO~_  
_I ship ChromeHearts x Charli…_  
_Rocky x Iris..._  
_And Puku x Ken._  
_I suppose I'd have to ship Casgan too. Ehehehe~^^'_  
_She's kyun? Really?_  
_Howwwwwwwww?_  
_xD_  
_Hommm…_  
_That isn't from Charlie the Unicorn is it?_  
_BAIIIII~_  
_*waves*_  
_^u^_

**Anon Review Reply #26 – **_Guest_

_If I could link the picture to that meme…_  
_I would._  
_Ah~!_  
_I use it so frequently!_  
_And yes. Yes it did._

_I kinda felt bad for not pairing Gage and Lysa straight away, cause Acid wanted her character to be with him._  
_And. Yeah._

**On a side note, I'm considering writing oneshot requests after this series (or possibly this and TABU) are complete.  
Yey~**

**Disclaimer: **_Derp, derp, derp, derp._

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

The tall red head allowed his lips to curl upwards into a satisfied grin as he tightened his grip on Morgan's wrist, towing his companion through the busy shopping center. He knew that Morgan planned on spending the day practising for the Battle of the Bands, however, he needed new guitar strings and having Morgan come get them with him… Well, he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to spend time with his crus- No! Castiel shook his head furiously. He didn't have a crush on Morgan. He was simply… Confused. Yes. That's all. Mixed feelings. Perhaps brotherly. Yes, brotherly. He wanted to protect Morgan simply for the fact that he cared. Not because…  
His grin grew wider as he remembered the shocked look on Morgan's face as he appeared on the front doorstep, demanding company. Castiel felt his cheeks begin to heat up as he thought of Morgan's lips, parted slightly in shock at his arrival… Morgan's wide eyes as he wrapped his hand around the small wrist of the other… He thought of _Morgan._ Small, fragile Morgan. And when he did, his grip on the other's wrist tightened unconsciously.  
"Ow," Morgan grumbled, attempting to pry the red head's fingers from her wrist. "Can you let go now? You're hurting me."  
Quickly, Castiel relinquished his grip.  
"Sorry," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
Morgan held her wrist with her other hand, glancing up at him as they walked.  
"Fine," she said. "But you mustn't be."  
Confused, Castiel waited for her to level with him before cocking his head to the side.  
"And what do you mean by that?" he asked.  
To his surprise, Morgan shrugged lightly.  
"We've already passed the music store and you didn't notice. Were you daydreaming or something?"  
Castiel frowned as he looked around at the neighbouring stores – Morgan was right – the music shop was towards the main entrance… Far from where they stood.  
"Uh," Castiel began in an attempt to sound nonchalant, "yeah, sure."  
He felt his heart begin to pick up –mostly out of nervousness- when Morgan persisted with the topic.  
"Oh? And what were you daydreaming about? A girl?"  
Uncertainly, Castiel nodded. Upon seeing this, and the redhead's flushed cheeks, Morgan laughed quietly to hide her disappointment.  
"What?" Castiel quipped. "What's wrong with that?"  
Morgan tried to brush off the topic as lightly as possible.  
"Well," she said, "I wouldn't have guessed that you'd ever _love_ someone… Let alone daydream about them."  
Castiel's lips pressed into a thin line as he felt his heart suddenly become heavy. Morgan… Didn't think he could love someone…  
"Maybe I do love someone," he defended, his tone overcast, "so what?"  
"Nothing," Morgan grinned, clapping her hands in front of her. "But, I need details. What does she look like? Is she tall? Short? Blonde? Is she pretty? What's she like?"  
Castiel rolled his eyes. "S_he_ asks a lot of questions," he said. "Uh… She's short. Black hair, dark eyes. S_he_ is pretty annoying, actually. Difficult, hard to get along with…"  
"Sounds like a keeper," Morgan joked, elbowing him in the ribs  
"Yeah?" Castiel sniffed dryly, "she likes a friend of mine, though."  
"Really?" Morgan asked, surprised as she wheeled around to head back off towards the music store. "That's too bad, Cas. I'm sure you'll win her over eventually, though. Just don't give up."  
Castiel felt a small smile creep up onto his face as he followed Morgan back through the busy shopping center.  
"I hope so," he said quietly.

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan sat quietly in the food court, picking disinterestedly at her roast beef roll. Castiel had left her to go wait in line at some fast food stall or another –Morgan didn't really know, nor did she really care- and all she could think about was the conversation she had with Castiel earlier about the girl that he loved. It wasn't easy giving false encouragement. No. It hurt. More than she thought it would, too.  
"Well," she murmured, "as long as he's happy, I should be too."  
Wrapping her uneaten sandwich in paper, she let out a quiet sigh, leaning back on the chair to wait for Castiel to return.  
A loud giggle followed by furious whispering – with no attempt whatsoever at subtly- made Morgan sit upright once more. With a roll of her eyes, she glanced around at the neighbouring tables scattered throughout the food court. There, four girls sat around a small table, whispering and shooting looks at Morgan that made her uncomfortable.  
Tilting her head to the side, Morgan fixed her dark eyes on them, however, this only made them giggle furiously.  
Honestly, Morgan sighed inwardly, how annoying could girls get?  
Furrowing her brows at the noise, Morgan looked back down at her messily wrapped sandwich and began to tear at the paper. The clicking of heels against a hard surface reached her ears and Morgan bit her bottom lip, hoping that her hunch was incorrect. A figure sat down opposite her and reluctantly, Morgan glanced up.  
"Can I help you?" Morgan asked bitterly, trying not to make a face as the girl fluffed her blonde hair out over her shoulders.  
Propping her chin up on two, manicured hands, the girl leaned across the table slightly.  
"Hi," she smiled. "I saw that you were sitting alone, so I thought that I'd come keep you company. Would you like to go get a coffee with me or something?"  
"Not really…" Morgan said slowly, glancing around the food court, praying that Castiel would soon come and save her.  
The girl pouted, batting her heavily darkened eyelashes.  
"Why not?" she asked, "I'm just trying to be friendly."  
"Yeah?" Morgan shrugged, not looking at the girl, "I'm here with someone."  
"That's too bad," the girl smiled. "You could always say you have to leave early or something. I mean… It'd just be you and I."  
"I'm not interested," Morgan replied dryly. The blonde curled her lips upwards into a playful smirk, revealing her straight, white, highly polished teeth.  
"Oh, but I am."  
"You also can't take hints, either," Morgan grumbled darkly. "Go away, please."  
She'd just narrowed her eyes and glared at the blonde when a loud snort sent a wave of relief washing over her. Castiel was back, at last.  
"Oh, Castiel," the blonde smiled, "you're here, too."  
"I am," he said, his voice low. "But you shouldn't be – Leave now, Amber."  
_Amber?_  
"But I was just talking to your friend here," she smiled. "We're going on a coffee date."  
This made Morgan's eyes widen in shock.  
"Like hell we are!" she growled dangerously.  
Castiel nodded in her direction before narrowing his eyes into dangerous slits, turning to face Amber fully.  
"Looks like you've been rejected again," he finally mocked after calming down slightly. "You should be used to it by now, though."  
Grabbing Morgan roughly by the shoulder, he dragged her to her feet.  
"C'mon," he said. "We're leaving."  
Dragging his companion out of the shopping complex –his lunch, long forgotten-he shoved her roughly against the brick wall.  
"What was that all about?" he growled and, to his anger, Morgan shrugged – she was probably more confused and horrified by the whole ordeal than he was.  
"I leave you alone for _ten _minutes, Morgan. Ten! And you go around flirting with girls…Flirting with… With Amber!"  
"I wasn't flirting," Morgan snapped, shoving him in the chest so she could have some space.  
Castiel's brows knitted tightly together as he gripped her shoulders roughly. Stopping down to meet her eye level, he ground his teeth together. Their foreheads were touching – he couldn't care less. Their noses were touching – so what? Their lips were mere millimetres apart and, well…. That, he was aware of… But he was much too angry to really care about that, either.  
"_Nobody_ is allowed to flirt with you, got that?" he growled. "You're not allowed to go out for coffee with _anyone."_  
Morgan sighed, turning her head away from his.  
"Let go of me," she said simply.  
Castiel shook his head. "No, not until you promise me you're not going to flirt with anyone or let any girl near you like that again."  
"Alright," Morgan said slowly. "I promise."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: **__Aaaaaand, there's the Boxing Day update.  
Yep.  
And now, I shall go to bed.  
X_X  
So tired.  
Wae duh work have to be so buseh?  
Wae duh customers have to be such dicks?_

_Night all.  
(:_


	18. Bribery and Secrets

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 16 – Bribery and Secrets  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

**A/N: **So… For those of you active in MCL, I suppose you now know the news. ^^  
Homm, that could quite possibly mean less updates as I'm not only balancing work, Uni, my social life and writing… I also have a whole fanfiction section, buzzing with activity and people who don't like to read the rules to look out for and keep clean.  
So, I've answered my inboxes, done what I have to on the forum, and am rewarding myself with an hour off to type~ Yey.

Also, I'd like to thank you all for your plot suggestions; They were very helpful – and cute.

_Chapter idea credits go to Georgidori of My Candy Love~!_

**Disclaimer: **My updating schedule is a disclaimer in itself. :/

**~Deception is a Virtue~**

Little over a week had passed – much to Morgan's relief- without incident between her and Castiel.  
He, while still acting aggressively to any form of social life she had aside from him, had calmed down considerably. And she, of course, had learned what _not _to say around him to avoid any possible rants.  
It had taken a long while to convince him she was perfectly capable of walking home by herself – Castiel was stubborn, that much was certain- but when he finally agreed, Morgan felt as though her freedom was finally returning to her.  
Why in the world was he so… Possessive?  
Friends certainly didn't behave such as he did… Maybe Castiel didn't really think himself as her friend?  
Yes, that had to be it. And, it hurt Morgan to come to that conclusion.  
Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Morgan picked up her pace as she walked through the hilly park. Stopping beside a rather old looking picnic bench, she leaned heavily upon it, dropping her bag on the peeling paint surface, her hand fishing around inside for her untouched lunch.  
It was a wonderful Friday afternoon in Sweet Amoris. The sun, whilst high in the sky and not a single cloud was to be seen. The trees stood almost perfectly still, their leaves seldom shaking with the slight breeze – the temperature was just right. A perfect time to spend the afternoon clearing her mind out in the sunshine and fresh air.  
Taking a seat at the bench, Morgan began to pick disinterestedly at her sandwich as she attempted to recollect the events that happened with Castiel whilst they were in the Food Court and his behaviour throughout the week. One thing was certain, she had pinpointed when it first began – _Amber. _While Castiel usually was snarky and, well, downright strange, Morgan couldn't work out why he would act so aggressively. Did he really think Morgan was flirting with Amber? What sort of inconsiderate, ridiculous, stupid little-  
Oh, wait…  
Another long, drawn out sigh escaped the dark haired girls' lips and she looked down.  
Castiel thought she was a boy. Was it really that hard to work out?  
"No,' she breathed, it should have been so obvious!  
Then again…  
She froze, her brows knitting tightly together. Castiel really think she was a boy, didn't he?  
Folding her –now completely mutilated- sandwich back up in clingwrap, she tilted her head upright, closing her eyes at the glare of the sun.  
The two had grown quite close during her time at Sweet Amoris Academy for Boys and…  
Her lips curled upwards into a lopsided smile. She had come to think of him as –somewhat of- a friend; a very weird one at that, but a friend nonetheless. Friends didn't lie to one another. Friends didn't keep secrets, especially not one as big as this. She had to tell Castiel.  
Yes; there was no other choice. It may hurt him to find out that she is a girl, Morgan decided, and feel as though she has betrayed his trust, however, he'd just wind up getting equally as hurt – if not even more so – if he found out at a later date that she was… or worse, from somebody else.  
Morgan felt a wave of cool wash across her face, the suns luminous –even behind closed eyelids- glow disappear. Cracking her eyes open, she glanced around at what had caused her to break her thoughts.  
Resisting to roll her eyes, Morgan sighed inwardly.  
"What do you want, Amber?"  
The blonde girl shrugged simply, a smile creeping up onto her face.  
"Oh, nothing really," she said innocently. "I just wanted to talk to you – is that too much to ask?"  
Straightening herself up, Morgan stared at the girl through her fringe.  
"I guess not," Morgan replied. "But why did you come looking for me?"  
The blonde broke her gaze and looked away, a small shade of peach creeping onto her otherwise milky cheeks.  
"I'm not sure," Amber said softly, "I just did. Do you mind coming out for coffee then?"  
"Coffee?" Morgan asked, surprised. Not this again, please… "I don't drink coffee," she lied.  
"That's alright," the blonde smiled politely, "there are other things you can get other than coffee. I just really need to tell you something."  
Morgan frowned. "Can't you just tell me now?"  
Amber laughed quietly to herself and, before Morgan knew it, she had been dragged to her feet and was already half way across the park.  
"I guess not then," Morgan grumbled.  
Amber fixed her seafoam eyes onto the dark haired girl., her lips tugging upwards.  
"Oh, don't be so upset, she said, you'll enjoy the coffee date as much as the information on Castiel I have for you."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan sat awkwardly at the small café table across from Amber, twirling the straw to her strawberry milkshake between her fingertips.  
Glancing up at Amber, Morgan made sure to let the blonde know of her discomfort.  
"So," she said as flatly as possible. "What do you need to tell me? I've got places I need to be."  
Amber frowned slightly, her long eyelashes batting.  
"Aren't you enjoying yourself?" she asked and Morgan shrugged as a way to hold back a laugh.  
"Not really," the dark haired girl replied bluntly. "I don't really do coffee dates."  
Amber rolled her eyes.  
"You like being difficult, don't you?" she asked, before adding as an afterthought, "Okay, I'll tell you."  
Morgan nodded once in thanks and waited quietly for the blonde to gather her thoughts together and work out the best way to word what she was about to say.  
"Don't you think it was odd the way Castiel was acting?" she said finally and, startled, Morgan blinked a few times to regain her composure.  
"Er, he's normally pushy and insufferable, isn't it?" she offered, trying to brush it off.  
Amber shook her head quickly, a wide grin creeping up onto her cheeks. Whether it was a good smile or a bad smile, Morgan could not tell.  
Instead, she tilted her head to the side, muttering a low, "explain."  
"No," Amber clarified. "It's completely different. My brother goes to the same school as you and has told me about the way he acts around you."  
"Nathaniel?" Morgan asked, uncertainly, "what did he tell you?"  
"It's easy," Amber teased, "you can't tell me that you haven't noticed it yourself?  
When Morgan remained silent, she continued with a laugh, "Castiel _likes _you."  
Morgan felt her face begin to heat up.  
"L-l-likes me? No. He can't!"  
Standing Amber collected her coffee cup, passing Morgan her milkshake and the two headed back out into the street.  
"Trust me," she said. "He does."  
Draping her arm around the dark haired girl's shoulder, they began to make their way through the winding streets of Sweet Amoris – much to Morgan's horror.  
It was when they crossed into a familiar neighbourhood, that she began to feel uneasy.  
Making a small noise in the back of her throat, she looked up at Amber.  
"Why are we here?" she asked the blonde. "Why are we in his neighbourhood?"  
The two came to an abrupt halt, Morgan being on the side closest to the road. Peering around Amber's side, she let out a small whimper.  
Castiel.  
They had stopped outside of his house – the red head in question, along with Lysander were sitting on the front steps of his house.  
His eyes widened when Amber had turned, proudly showing off herself, with her arm wrapped tightly around Morgan's shoulder.  
A low snarl ripped from Castiel's throat as he started towards the pair, his fists clenched tightly into balls.  
A satisfied, toneless laugh escaped Amber's lips and she looked down at Morgan.  
"That's simple," she said. "We're here so that I could see his reaction."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N: **__Yeah… That's it for tonight, guys.  
I managed to sneak away from the forum –and my multiplying inboxes- for an hour.  
And now..  
I think I'll do one more once-over of the fanfic forum… And then collapse in bed._

Kay. Night.


	19. Broken

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 17 - Broken  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

**A/N:** I'm not even going to begin to apologise for my absence…  
I suppose with all of the modding I've just lost interest in MCL fanfiction.  
Not to mention my Hobbit fic is my new baby.  
*shrugs* Oh well.  
But what have I been doing in these weeks of absence aside from modding and Hobbit-writing?  
Prepping for Uni. Working insane hours at work. Escaping Bushfires. Working on my Anti-Sora cosplay. Shoes are a bitch to make. .  
And, that's about  
**Disclaimer: **Eh. This will probably end in a few chapters. Worth the disclaimer? It is now.

**~Deception is a Virtue~**

A string of cussing escaped the red heads lips as he stalked towards the two new arrivals; his fists clenched tightly, his narrow eyes fixed on Morgan. Ignoring Lysander's worried shouts, and of course, Amber's snide taunts he ripped Morgan away from Amber's arm and pushed her behind him protectively. Stumbling with the force, Morgan wobbled forward a few steps before collapsing on the concrete footpath – a small cry escaping her lips.  
Ignoring Morgan, Castiel's lips curled up into a snarl as he rounded on Amber.  
"How clear do I have to make it," he spat, "that I don't want you around Morgan? _Ever!"  
_The tall blonde flicked her hair over her shoulder, unconcerned by Castiel's aggression.  
"He is not yours to own," she said simply. "Morgan and I were out on a simple coffee _date. _There's really no harm in that, is there?"  
"Date?"  
Castiel glanced quickly over his shoulder at the small dark haired figure who sat on the footpath, arms folded in their lap. He felt hurt – betrayed. Morgan had promised him that he wouldn't…  
Quickly turning his gaze back to Amber he gritted his teeth.  
"You're lying," he snarled. "No one would want to go on a date with you."  
At this, Amber's lips curled upwards in a smug smile.  
"It doesn't matter what you think," she shot back, "but that is why I was with Morgan. Why else would I want to be with him?"  
Another string of cussing escaped Castiel's lips, but before he had the chance to snap back – Lysander cut him off.  
"It doesn't matter why you were with him," he said crouching down next to Morgan and resting his hand on her arm. At this, Morgan winced slightly, a quiet noise echoing in the back of her throat.  
"It only matters that you leave – _now."  
_Lysander's mismatched eyes traveled from Morgan upwards to where Amber stood and nodded his head.  
"If you know what is good for you," he said simple, "I suggest that you leave immediately. Castiel," he added as an afterthought, "come over here and help me with Morgan."  
Castiel's narrow eyes watched Amber's retreating back as she started back down the street once more. Once she was a fair distance away, he turned, glowering down at Morgan who Lysander was attempting to help stand.  
"A date?" Castiel snapped. "What did I tell you Morgan? I don't want you around any girls!"  
Annoyed when she did not respond to him, Castiel observed for a few short moments Morgan continuously batting Lysander's hand away from her wrist.  
"It's fine," she muttered. "I can stand by myself."  
An agitated sigh escaped Castiel's lips as he started forward, stopping and grabbing the girl's arm, dragging her to her feet.  
Morgan's eyes widened almost immediately at his touch and she let out a loud cry.  
Instantly, Castiel released her, startled.  
"What's your problem, Morgan?" he sniffed angrily, his hand dropping to his side. "First, you go around having coffee dates with a dragon, and then you act all wimpy when I help you up?"  
Morgan stared at him for a few moments before angling her body with her right arm farthest away from him.  
"Actually," Lysander said quietly, "I think you might have hurt Morgan when you pushed him."  
At this, Castiel's eyes widened and he shook his head.  
"I can't have hurt Morgan – he would have done _something _or said _something _if I had!"  
The silver haired boy shook his head, his mismatched eyes closing.  
"You were too busy getting angry at Amber to notice," he said. "That's why I went to Morgan."  
Castiel's lips pressed into a thin, anxious line as he fixed his attention on Morgan. Closing the gap between them, he placed his arms on her shoulders gently.  
"I didn't hurt you did I?"  
Quickly, Morgan shook her head. "I'm fine," she reassured and Castiel smiled.  
Lysander let out a quiet sigh, extending his hand, and softly touched her arm. Immediately, she flinched, another small whimper escaping her lips.  
"What did I tell you, Castiel? Morgan's hurt."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

Morgan and Castiel sat side by side in the waiting room; the small, navy love seat pushing them closer together than the pair would have liked. Morgan sat still, her eyes fixed on the large television on the opposite wall which was re-playing yesterday's news whilst muted and cringing whenever her arm twitched. Castiel sat with his hands in his lap, eyes glued to the floor – unmoving; silent.  
It was bad enough that he had hurt Morgan, and to the extent that he did, but what really got him worked up was the fact that it was Lysander, not he, who noticed. He had completely ignored the fact that Morgan could have been hurt from the push. He didn't even notice…  
But Lysander did. Nor did he waste any time in sending the two off to the nearest doctors surgery.  
Tilting his head to the side, he surveyed Morgan from underneath his thick fringe.  
"Morgan," he murmured. "I'm sorry…"  
Engrossed in her attempt to lip-read the news reporter, Morgan didn't hear what Castiel had said and, of course, did not turn around to face him.  
Letting a sad sigh escape his lips, Castiel looked back at the ground.  
Morgan obviously hated him; didn't want anything to do with him anymore. And this… This broke Castiel's heart.  
He couldn't bear to have the one he truly cared about hate him. But how could he stop that?  
"Morgan," he said, a little louder this time. Reaching out, he touched her knee and stroked it gently with his thumb.  
Surprised, she turned around to face him, tilting her head to the side inquisitively.  
"I-" Castiel breathed before looking away. It was now or never. He had to tell Morgan or else risk losing him forever. "I lov-"  
"Morgan Syres," the receptionist called, "Doctor Benson is ready for you now."  
Flashing a reassuring smile at the red head, Morgan got to her feet and headed off down the cream-coloured hallway before disappearing into a side room.  
Cussing silently as he watched her retreating back, Castiel balled his hands around the fabric of his jeans. He'd lost his chance. He'd lost Morgan forever…  
Furrowing his brow slightly, Castiel shook his head. No, that was all wrong. He was wrong right from the start. Morgan would never like him. Never. He'd even said so himself that he wasn't gay… And here Castiel was, thinking he had a chance. Ha. Such stupidity.  
Such thoughts as the latter ran through Castiel's mind over and over. And with every moment that he thought it, his heart ached more and more. His eyes stung more.  
Completely unaware of how long he had been sitting there, the breath caught in his throat when he felt somebody touch his shoulder and startled, he looked up.  
There, Morgan stood opposite him, her eyes full of worry.  
"Is everything okay, Cas?" she asked taking up her spot on the love seat next to him.  
Castiel forced a nod, his throat dry and he let out a quiet sigh.  
"Fine," he croaked. "What happened in there?"  
Morgan shifted uncomfortably in her seat, chewing her bottom lip nervously.  
Castiel's eyes traveled downwards slowly from her face to her arm, bound tightly in a hard white caste.  
"My wrist is broken," she said quietly. "I'm supposed to wear this for seven weeks."  
"I'm sorry," Castiel whispered, reaching out and brushing the loose strands of dark hair from Morgan's eyes. "It's all my fault."  
At this, Morgan shook her head.  
"No," she said quietly and she bowed her head in shame. "I should be apologising; to everyone."  
_"Why?"__**  
**_Sucking in a deep breath, Morgan looked into Castiel's eyes.  
"Because," she murmured. "It means I can't compete in the Battle of the Bands anymore."

_**~Deception is a Virtue~**_

_**A/N:  
Sucky update is sucky.  
But I honestly can't care less.  
I'm tired and sore…  
And hate my manager at work very much as she is cruel and wicked.  
Anyway, yeah.  
That's it for now.  
I'm going to sleep.  
Later.**_


	20. For All It's Worth

Title; Deception Is A Virtue  
Repertoire; 18 - For All It's Worth  
Authoress; Chrome Hearts  
Fandom; My Candy Love  
Main Focus; Castiel x Candy  
Rating; K+

A/N: Guys, don't tell me to 'hurry up and finish this.' いいえ。 Seriously. That just makes me more inclined to drag it out even more. I apologise it has taken so long, and I apologise for this explosion.

But right now, there are more important things happening than me writing this.

My parents are overseas, and will be for a long while. I've got Uni. I've got work. I've got exams. Major assignments. Dying family. I have bills to pay. Food to buy. A new job to look for. 1.5 million players to babysit. I'm trying so hard to keep my head above societies water. Everything is just so hard right now… I'm happy to hear that you are so eager to read the next chapter of this. Really, I am. But flooding my inbox (be that on here, MCL or my account on other languages *like my Spanish account, of how you've located, I don't know*) with interrogations doesn't make it happen any faster. Some things are just more important than this, I guess. Which is why I'm going to try and end this as fast as I can. Chapter wise. Not chapter-posting wise.

Disclaimer: I'm updating. That's a disclaimer in itself.

**~Deception is a Virtue~**

Morgan let out an annoyed grumble, awkwardly placing one hand over her caste. Castiel had been complaining constantly since the pair had gotten out of the doctors surgery and for Morgan, it was getting to the last straw. "I can't believe you won't be able to compete!" said the red head furiously as he kicked the dirt ground with the toe of his shoe; a small cloud of brown billowed up around their ankles. "You need to practice one handed! I don't care how many hours you have to practice, you need to! We've worked too hard on this to back out no-" "Enough," Morgan snapped. "I'm not going to be able to. Just stop it already!" A small growl echoed from the back of Castiel's throat, but he held his tongue, instead, his dark eyes narrowed dangerously.

"All of our hard work," he snarled, "it's all going to waste, Morgan! You can't just give up on us that easily!"

Quickly, he glanced away. "You can't just give up … On me, Morgan … "

With a roll of her eyes, Morgan pushed past him and continued walking at a brisk pace.

"I'm not giving up on anyone. I physically _can't_ do it. Why can't you just understand that?"

Castiel watched as Morgan stalked away, waiting.

_He'll turn around, _Castiel told himself. _He'll come back. He has to._

He didn't.

Morgan kept her eyes fixed firmly in front of her as she walked, positively fuming. Clenching her non-broken fist tightly, she felt her nails dig into the palms of her hands. As she allowed her shoulders to slump, Morgan glanced at the ground.

It had rained the night before and small puddles littered the footpath. Glaring angrily at her own reflection in the puddle, Morgan's eyes widened in surprise.

She'd not actually seen herself this mad at something before. Was it worth it? More importantly, did Castiel deserve to be treated the way he was?

_No,_ Morgan sighed, closing her eyes. Castiel didn't deserve that: nobody did. Her band has worked so hard … On everything. And now, here she is, ruining all that they've worked for.

Opening her eyes once more, Morgan sucked in a sharp breath, hesitating. Should she go back and apologise to Castiel? Knowing him, he'd be waiting for her to return. Waiting to mock her. Tell her how stupid she was being and that he's always right.

Shaking every thought of apologising out of her head, Morgan started forward once more. No, Morgan thought. She could just apologise to him in a completely different way.

Shooting a sideways glance down at her elbow length caste, her brow creased with determination.

Castiel _was_ right.

She could do this. She could do it if she really put her mind to it.

And that … That was exactly what she was going to do,

Tugging her hood up over her askew hair, Morgan bent her head forward slightly and hurried against the wind to get home.

Practice. Yes, that's just what she needed.

There was no way, after all of this time, all of this work, that she was going to let her band, her school, herself, and most importantly Castiel down.

**~Deception is a Virtue~**

Again and again, Morgan practiced. She continually pushed herself beyond her limits, forcing herself to hold the drumstick awkwardly between her fingers and the solid caste.

Every time, the second the drumstick connected with the surface of the drum, a dull _thud_ echoed from within, followed by a long string of cussing that escaped the injured girl's lips.

Every single time she clenched the drumstick in her hand, a painful burning sensation shot through her body. Every time she pinched her eyes shut to try and ignore it, forcing the drumstick to slam down into the tomdrum, it felt as though she was just breaking her arm over and over again.

The pain was constant. Excruciating. Remnants of tears were streaked down Morgan's face; tears of pain. Tears of frustration. Tears of determination.

She couldn't let her band down, but she … No, there had to be a way. There had to be a solution.

Allowing herself to rock backwards on the stool, Morgan rested her head up against the wall and caught her breath. Her whole arm was throbbing, the swelling beginning to press against the plaster caste.

It was a good ten minutes rest before Morgan had the strength (or urge) to move again. Her arms still burned and ached from effort and she was ready to give up.

Digging her hand into her pant pocket, Morgan fished out her phone, a finger hovering above the home button. Maybe if she texted Castiel now, he would have calmed down. What if she was to find a replacement drummer?

Yes, that could work.

Drummers could pick up on songs quickly.

Her thumb pressed the home button and the screen lit up. A myriad of missed calls from Castiel covered the screen. Eyes wide with surprise, Morgan scrolled down through the countless missed calls from the red head before she found something that caught her attention.

A text message.

This was completely different from the other notifications that filled her phone.

Not in the sense that it wasn't a missed call. No, it was the sender that caught Morgan's attention.

It was a text message. A text message from Lysander.

Sucking in a deep breath, Morgan slid the small letter icon across the screen, the text opening itself.

A small gasp of realisation escaped Morgan's mouth as she stared down at the text message.

There wasn't very much to it; it was just what Morgan expected from Lysander, a man of few words.

Morgan could not hide the grin that spread across her face.

Three words. That's all it took.

Those three words could solve everything.

_We'll go acoustic._

**~Deception is a Virtue~**

A/N: It's out.

It's short.  
I'm aware.


End file.
